Black Orchid
by Zabby
Summary: Someone's out for Ziva. Will Gibbs be able to find out who before its too late to save Ziva?
1. Prologue

Prologue

Prologue

Shadows. She could only see blurred shadows. Weaving in and out of the sunlight. Unclear and fuzzy, like she was seeing something through opaque glass.

She slowly opened her eyes, shying away from the pain that caused. The shadows began to solidify. Leaves. Why would she be seeing leaves? She must be lying down somewhere outside. Pushing herself to her feet, she swayed slightly, but began to make out the trees and gentle hills of grass that surrounded her. Looking around her, she saw the leaves swaying in the breeze; her dancing shadows.

Overwhelmed by a sudden, stabbing pain, she put her hand to her forehead, but instantly pulled in away when she felt a sudden dampness. Looking at her hand, she gasped. It was covered in blood. Reaching up again, she pulled down her orange cap, no longer orange but red and soaked in blood. Looking down at the clothes she was wearing, she was confused. She was wearing her running clothes yet didn't remember dressing for her morning ritual.

Moving her hands over her body, the fallen woman looked for more injuries. Was it just her head, or something much worse? Her body aching in unknown injuries, she felt cuts and scrapes, bruises and breaks. Several of her ribs were broken, and reaching down, she felt a deep cut in her leg. Afraid of bleeding out, she ripped her leg of her running pants, pulling tight a makeshift tourniquet around her leg and across her gushing wound.

Struggling to stand up, she wavered to her feet and tried to look around again. Confused, her mind befuddled, she sought to make some sense of surroundings. Had she fallen? Tripped and hit her head? As she continued to look around her, she saw no evidence of a fall, of something to trip on. And in any case, she could not have received these injuries from a fall.

_What was going on?_

Reaching for her ever-present cell, she realized she didn't have it. Taking a deep breath, pulling in her reserves, she began take steps towards a break in the trees. Ahead of her, she began to recognize the path she took every morning on her run.

As she started moving, she heard what sounded like a group of women. Stretching out her hand towards the them, Ziva called out. "Help! Someone help me," she cried, falling to the ground, slipping into unconsciousness.

--

_iRemoving his gaze from the scope, he lowered his gun and let gravity drag the tip to the ground. Ziva was perfect, reacting so flawlessly to how he had left her._

_Sighing in ecstasy, a slight smile on his face, he began to put his weapon away. He was not ready to use it on her; just not yet. Oh, he'd made sure that he would get to have another opportunity to use it. He'd left just enough evidence behind to keep them on his trail. When they caught up with him, he'd use the gun. Not just on her, but on the other as well. He may even get the chance to use his rifle on the whole team. Maybe even his other toys._

_But only when he decided the game was up. She would come back to him then._

_Giggling in anticipation, he clamped his hand over his mouth. Best not to give away the game too soon. He picked up his things, glanced around to make sure he left only what he intended behind, and headed off towards the direction of his vehicle._

_As he made his way through the woods, he reminisced. Ziva once had teased her partner about being a screamer, in front of him and a few other NCIS agents. She'd questioned the other about the fact that her neighbors had complained about the amount of noise emanating from her place. _

_Though she said it to to her partner, he'd known it was really for him. It was her way of acknowledging him. Of acknowledging his rights to her. _

_He had known she was meant for him from the moment she walked through the doors of that crime scene. And she was a screamer all right. Boy, had he made her scream. A pity the drugs he'd had to use in order to subdue her would cause amnesia as a side effect. He knew she would have enjoyed those memories, just as much as he was. Oh, well. Hopefully, it will come back to her. If not, there was always next time. _

_And there would be a next time. _

_Another time to make her scream./i_


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

She woke up to someone pounding on her chest. Strapped down to a bed, with a bag over her face, Ziva fought to get up. The pounding had to stop NOW! Thrashing around, she heard a voice.

"Miss? Miss, you need to stop. You are in an ambulance. We're taking you to Washington Hospital Center, Miss? Miss, can you tell me your name? Can you tell me what happened?" The EMT struggled to keep her stable, to take her vitals. But something about the situation bothered him. _ Why was she struggling against him? What had happened to her?_

"No," she screamed. "Leave me alone. Don't touch me. Don't touch anything!" And then Ziva, going into shock, said only two words, repeated over and over, "NCIS. Ducky. NCIS. Ducky. NCIS. Ducky. NCIS. Ducky. NCIS. Ducky. NCIS. Ducky. NCIS. Ducky. NCIS. Ducky. NCIS. Ducky. NCIS. Ducky."

--

Putting the phone down, he slammed his hand on the desk. _Damn, this is not what I need._ Pounding his finger on the speaker phone, Director Vance yelled, "Cynthia, get Special Agent Gibbs in here, NOW!"

_How in the hell did this happen? Officer David was supposed to be on vacation. For that matter, she was scheduled to come back today. What in the hell is going on?_

Gibbs walked into the Director's office with the smart ass smirk he always sported when around this particular Director. They didn't get along. In fact, Gibbs would wager that a word closer to hate was a more apt description.

Adopting an insolent pose, Special Agent Gibbs took the chair across from the Director's desk. Taking a long, loud sip of his dark coffee, he remember how much he used to enjoy coming into this office, how much he enjoyed the verbal sparring. But now, with a new person sitting behind that desk, Gibbs could only experience pain and regret. _Had it really been only a few months? It seems like she's been gone for so much longer._

Shaking off that train of thought, Gibbs instead viewed the man who shouldn't be sitting behind that desk. A man he could probably call his nemesis, if he was inclined to care about this man at all. Through the last couple of months, they had settled into a working relationship; functional, and only slightly respectful. However, with Director Vance approving Ziva's two weeks, the relationship was more strained.

"What can I do for you, Director?" Putting as much insolence as he could into that one word, Gibbs waited, with that same ole' smirk, for the Director's next move.

"Agent Gibbs, when was the last time you heard from Officer David?" Gibbs behavior rankled Vance, put his hackles up. Even though he knew that was what Gibbs wanted, Vance couldn't seem to prevent his reaction.

Raising an eyebrow, Gibbs considered his answer. He'd only had team back for two weeks, and at that an incomplete team. Vance knew he hadn't seen Officer David since she had left on vacation, ever since she applied for her two weeks leave. She had applied to him, the Director, instead of Gibbs. When hearing of her vacation request, Gibbs had been unexpectedly hurt and disjointed. He still didn't understand why she hadn't come to him, but instead the Director; the same one who had just previously split up the team. Gibbs wondered if that was why he had received no communication from Ziva, as if she knew that what she had done had affected him that way.

Deciding straight forward and curt would be the best approach, Gibbs responded "I haven't heard from Officer David since she left on vacation."

Looking down at the piece of paper containing all the information he wrote from the conversation with the nurse, Vance pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and index finger. Shuffling the paper, he considered how to approach this. He had a feeling he knew what the reaction from his senior agent would be.

"Officer David is currently being admitted to Bethesda Naval Hospital. She was discovered in a forest near her apartment, bloodied, bruised and completely dazed. When in transport to Georgetown Hospital, she regained consciousness and refused treatment. Additionally when she woke, Ziva repeated only two words: 'NCIS' and 'Ducky.'" Seeing the rising reaction from Gibbs, Vance continued on.

"When the paramedics heard the unidentified woman say NCIS, they immediately took her to Bethesda, rightly assuming that she belonged with us. They believed that once she was around Naval personnel she would calm down and allow the medical staff to treat her. However, when she reached the emergency room at Bethesda, she grabbed a surgical knife and backed herself into a corner. She now repeats the words 'NCIS,' 'Ducky,' and 'Gibbs.'"

The more Director Vance spoke, the more Gibbs could feel the rage pour through his veins. As soon as the Director had mentioned Bethesda, Gibbs had lost his insolent posture. When Vance said 'bloodied, bruised,' Gibbs had felt his right hand clench into a fist. And the moment he had heard that Ziva was calling for him, he was out of his chair and headed out of the Director's office.

"Where do you think you are going?" Vance demanded.

Not even turning around or showing a hesitation in his step, Gibbs responded "to take care of my team; something you apparently have no comprehension of."

Slamming the door behind him, causing Cynthia to jump in her chair, Gibbs flipped open his phone and dialed directly into Ducky's autopsy room. When Ducky picked up, Gibbs wasted no time in explanation.

"Ducky, meet me at the car. Bring your kit. We're going to Bethesda. Ziva's there. I'll explain more on the way." Flying down the stars, Gibbs stopped by his desk, grabbed his badge and side arm, and began to head towards the elevator, not even sparing a glance towards the rest of his team.

As he moved past the desks in the Squad Room, he yelled to Tony and McGee, "You have a crime scene. Grab your gear and head out. The Director," he almost spat that word out, "will let you know where you're headed. I'll call later for a sitrep." Shoving his way past an agent who happened to be walking in the pathway, Gibbs pushed another agent out of the way who was waiting near the elevator. He entered the silver box, alone, and slammed his hand on the button which would let him off on the floor that would lead him to his vehicle.

As the doors to the elevator began to slide shut, Gibbs' face took on a look that scared most harden criminals. He looked towards the top of the Squad Room, towards MTAC, and there was the new Director, arrogantly leaning on the railing overlooking the desks of the NCIS agents. The way he looked, like a man lording over his conquests, made Gibbs' jaw clench. But he had more important things to focus upon, namely the unexplained attack on the Mossad Officer. His conflict with the Vance could wait.

--

Entering the hospital at Bethesda, Gibbs flashed his badge and asked where Officer David was being held. The look of complete and utter relief on the faces of the hospital staff let him know how worried and scared they were for the situation. Their relief, however, only added to the growing dread he was feeling in his infamous gut. Something was seriously wrong with Ziva. And for the first time, Gibbs was almost afraid to find out.

Nodding to the nursing staff, he motioned for Ducky to lead the way, knowing that this arena was Ducky's forte. As the medical examiner entered the room, Gibbs took a deep breath, trying to steal himself against what he was afraid was inside.

"Oh, my dear," he heard Ducky say inside the hospital room. "What has happened to you? Do not worry. We will take care of you."

On those words, Gibbs entered the room. On the gurney, Ducky's bag rested, but not Ziva. Instead, cowering in the corner, he saw her in a defense position, her head on her knees, surgical knife in hand. Ducky was kneeling next to her, talking softly to their colleague, trying to get her to come out of her emotional shock.

Kneeling alongside his long time friend, he turned his attention to the woman in front of him, the woman in apparent trauma.

"Ziva? Ziva, its Gibbs. Can you relax your hold on the weapon please? You're going to be all right. We're here now." As her hand relaxed its white-knuckled grip on the surgical tool, he relieved her of her possession. "Ziva, can you talk to me? Tell me what happened. Ducky and I are here to help."

--

Her back wedged into the corner, she kept repeating the words like a talisman; "Ducky, Gibbs, NCIS." Though she did not remember what had happened to her, Ziva knew something did, that it was important for Ducky to do the examination of her person, for him and Gibbs to collect the evidence off of her. So, she refused treatment, refused the attention of the medical staff, and had in fact threatened them with their own tools.

In one hand, she held the surgical knife, in the other her bloodied, orange cap. She laid her head on her knees, pushing her brain to reveal her missing time. Point of fact, Ziva did not even know how much time she was missing. A day? A week? Hours? Only Gibbs could answer her questions, only Ducky could tell her what happened to her body. She felt broken, battered, violated.

Eventually, the hospital staff gave up on her, rather than risk injury from a crazed patient, though the nursing staff kept returning to the er exam room to make sure she was still alive. For which, Ziva was grateful. Every time one of the nurses came in, they would ask her questions, mainly to check if she was still ok.

The constant talking, beeping from the equipment surrounding her, and the general noises of the hospital blended into a humming background noise to which she replayed the only memories she had. She remembered starting back at NCIS after being sent home to Mossad when Vance had split of the team. But after returning from her undercover assignment, Ziva had no memories until waking up in the park.

But then, Gibbs voice pierced through the fog of her memories and the background noise. When he asked her to release her hold on the knife, she had to concentrate on each muscle throughout her fingers. But, she was finally able to do as he asked. Removing the knife from her hand, she felt his other hand lift her chin up. Raising a bloodied and bruised face to her boss' gaze, she finally started to relax . With Gibbs, she could trust. With Gibbs, she could believe in safety, even for a moment.

"Gibbs. You came. Thank you." And with that, she collapsed, unconscious.

--

A low growl emanated from Gibbs when Ziva raised her face to his. Bloodied and bruised were not accurate descriptions of her condition. They weren't even close. Gibbs handed off the knife to Ducky, and not soon enough. For once she looked up, relief spilled over her face, and she fell forward into his arms.

Lifting her up, he cradled her body to him. Walking over to the gurney, he gently laid her flat on its surface. Smoothing the hair from his face, he murmured "What happened to you Ziva?"

Looking up to the other gentleman, Gibbs stated "I think she wants you to do the examination and me to collect the evidence, Duck. Its the only reason I can think of for why she rejected any medical care. The sooner we take care of her, the sooner the hospital staff can take care of her."

They worked in tandem; one cutting away her clothes and working across her body, collecting evidence and taking pictures; the other cataloguing her bruises, bloodied areas of her body, broken bones, cuts and other injuries. Ducky worked with sympathy and concern for the woman on the table. Gibbs worked with increasing anger and vengeance, needing to find the bastard who did this to her.

Gritting his teeth, he asked "What happened to her Duck? Where has she been for the last two weeks?"


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Hearing the order as Gibbs hastened out the door, Special Agent DiNozzo looked up from his perusal of work emails. Grabbing his PDA, he motioned to McGee to follow him. "Come on, McGoober. Let's go find out where this new crime scene is. Seems to have Gibbs' panties in a twist."

Taking the stairs up to the Director's office two at a time, Tony impatiently tapped his foot at the top of the path, just to irritate his teammate. "Move it, Probie-san. I thought you were trying to do the whole working out thing. Shouldn't you be moving faster?"

Dashing ahead to make sure he was first, he ended up wrestling with McGee through the door into the room with Cynthia's office. Bursting through at the same time, they both stumbled in. Straightening up his clothes and nodding to the Director's secretary, Tony made his way to the door.

"You can go right in, Agents DiNozzo and McGee. The director is expecting you."

--

After his initial examination of Ziva's wounds, Dr. Mallard laid a white sheet across her tortured body. The next and final part of his exam would require her awake and Gibbs to leave the room. Turning to the Senior Field Agent, he said "Jethro. I'm going to need you to leave now. This next part...I will need to do a rape kit on her. She'll need to be awake and would probably desire some privacy."

He could tell Gibbs was about to refuse, needing to remain by her side. Changing his tactics, Gibbs nodded in agreement. Holding Ziva's hand for a whispered moment, Gibbs' face was a mask of pain for the Mossad agent. Heading out between the curtains, Gibbs grabbed his phone out of his pocket, stealing his face back into his impenetrable mask, and prepared to call Tony for the other Agent's sitrep.

As Gibbs left, Ducky turned his attention back to his patient. Laying his hand on her shoulder, he delicately shook her awake. He knew he had to be careful, not only for her injuries, but also for her reaction. As a trained Mossad assassin and one who had been obviously tortured over a singular length of time, Ducky had to be careful she did not try to attack him.

"Ziva? Officer David? Ziva, can you hear me?"

--

Struggling against the blackness, Ziva fought to resurface. She no longer wanted to be consumed by the dark waters. She wanted to breathe again. Suddenly and immediately, she felt safe. Someone was with her, letting her know that she would be okay. There were no words, but almost a touch. But as quickly as the touch was warming her and helping her stay afloat, the touch was gone. She needed that voice. That voice belonged with her.

Then her name was being said in a soothing, Scottish accent. She knew that voice. It was different from whomever had touched her. Less warmth and more comfort. Like the touch, she trusted the voice. The trust and comfort aided her almost as much as the touch had, and pushed her the final edge to consciousness.

In a roughened, dried voice, she replied "Ducky?"

"Hello, my dear. Welcome back. We have missed you."

Trying to sit up, Ziva finally noticed that she was nude under the blanket. "Ducky? Where are my clothes?"

"Jethro and I removed them for evidence and so that I could do your examination. But, I am sorry to say, the exam is not quite finished. I need to finish the rape kit, my dear, and I need your assistance."

Her eyes widened and her cheeks reddened slightly when Ducky informed her of Gibbs' presence when she was undressed. But then the color drained from her face when he mentioned the rape kit. Suddenly, her stomach was filled with dread. Her palms clammy with nerves.

"A...a rape kit, Ducky?" At his nod, she took a deep breath. Stealing herself against the fear that suddenly pervaded her body, she followed the medical examiner's advice. Throughout the examination, Ziva concentrated on her breathing, trying for deep inhalations. In and out. In and out. Feeling the cool air of the hospital pull into her lungs, and the stale CO2 leave, she wondered at the sounds ringing around her. In her concentrating, she heard a gruff voice faint in the background. The tenor of the voice helped to relax and take her mind of the doctor searching for evidence of rape.

"All done, Ziva, all done." Packing the evidence of rape away, he moved up towards the top of the hospital bed. "Gibbs told me that you remember nothing about what happened to you. Has anything come back to you, yet?"

Searching the black ocean of her mind again, Ziva tried to locate some memory, something that would help, as she resettled her body on the bed. She started getting flashes of something. Sucking in a shocked breath, she started talking, almost to herself.

"I was in a...basement, or something similar, underground. It was secluded, no windows."

Another flash. "I was chained." Lifting up her hands, she observed the chafed and bloodied skin around both of her wrists. The space of the injury showed a large-sized manacle had chained her down and that she had fought to free herself. And though she couldn't see her feet, she knew that she would find similar injuries there.

Another flash. "He knew I could pick locks. So he broke my fingers, in the beginning, to make sure I could not. I think they have begun to heal." Suddenly, the memories became too much, so she pushed them under the surface again.

"I am sorry, Doctor Mallard. I cannot..." at that her voice broke and she turned her head away from him in shame. She was never the weak one, never the one who needed help.

"Ziva, do not blame yourself. You are the victim here, and you have done nothing wrong, my dear. Can I do anything for you? Anything to make you comfortable?"

Looking up at her friend, knowing that her clothes were now evidence, she asked quietly "May I have a hospital gown, please?"

--

"Keep me informed Tony."

"Got it, Boss."

As he saw Ducky walking towards him, Gibbs flipped his phone closed and shoved it into the front pocket of his pants. "DiNozzo and McGee found blood and hair evidence, not all of which appear to be Ziva's. In addition, it seems that some evidence was left behind deliberately. Whoever this is,the bastard's trying to mess with me, Duck."

Taking a deep breath, he faced the other man. "Tell me. How is she?"

"Not good, Jethro. She has several broken bones; ribs, fingers. And aside from the bruises on her skin, which you've seen, I cannot tell what is wrong internally. We will have to wait for the medical staff to do those tests. She has cuts throughout her body, purposefully designed to weaken her. What I haven't told her is that she has been branded, Jethro. On the back of her hip, with the words Black Orchid. And, Jethro, she's been raped. There's severe trauma. I've taken samples and will have Abby do a rush on them." He waited then, internally cringing at the upcoming reaction.

"The bastard branded her, Duck? With what?" Gibbs could barely contain the rage building up inside of him. He had a deep and violent urge to hunt down the man who dared to touch Ziva, to kill him with his bare hands.

"With an iron, I believe. Something hot enough to burn her skin. It will take several surgeries to remove that mark. Anyone else, I don't believe would have survived what our girl in there has lived through. She will need your help, all of our help. To move beyond this torture and back towards any hope of becoming the woman we knew."

"Is there anything else, Doctor?" His rage was in check, but only by a slim margin. He needed to see her, to touch her, to make sure she was still there.

"She has started to remember, Jethro. Only bits and pieces. Slices of memories, really. She remembers being held in a dark, windowless room. Having been chained. And also having her fingers broken, several times, in order to prevent her from picking the locks on her chains."

Seeing the other man begin to shake, Doctor Mallard knew, after their many years together, that Jethro would either explode or implode. Ducky hoped, for everyone's sake, that he exploded and found the man responsible.

"Go to her, Jethro. She needs you now."


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Impatiently pacing the floor of the forensics lab, Tony awaited the results of the DNA extraction from the blood and hairs he and Agent McGee had discovered where Ziva had been dumped. _The crime scene_, he corrected. Tony was trying desperately to separate his personal feelings from this case, but he couldn't. This was Ziva, his work and verbal sparring partner. She was always the warrior, the one the team leaned on. Even Gibbs would lean on her.

"Abby? Do you have any results back? Anything on the blood or the hair samples?"

"Tony, I am only one person. I am working as fast as I can," Abby stated. She was just as agitated as the rest of the team, worried sick over the Mossad Agent. Though it had taken Abby a bit of time, they were finally friends, more like strange sisters than anything else.

"The results are coming soon, I promise." Putting her hand on his arm, she added "We'll find him, Tony. We'll find whoever did this. We have to. It's Ziva! Why don't you ask McGee if he has anything from her cell phone records."

"McGee!"

"There's nothing, Boss…I mean, Tony." McGee winced. He hated when he slipped like that. Tony always bragged over him, about being a Senior Agent, about women. So when Tim blundered like that, Tony always used it to lord over him.

Smirking, Tony replied, "Oh, Boss is just fine, McGeekle. Now what do you mean by nothing? Her cell phone is missing, McGee. There's got to be something."

"I mean nothing, Tony." He put emphasis on the name. Tim was not about to add onto Tony's enormous ego. "There has been no activity since the email she sent to the director." Having an idea, he swiveled around in the chair towards the other agent.

"Tony. Do you think Ziva even sent that email? I mean, that doesn't seem like something she would do. Abby? Yes. Me. Yes? But Ziva? Normally, she would just call into the director, send in the forms via a mail carrier or just the normal mail. Could it have been the man who took her?"

Tapping his pen against his chin, Agent DiNozzo considered his idea. "That actually sounds like a good notion, Probie. We should go to her apartment, search for evidence of an invasion, her computer for clues."

"Go, guys. Find me something to get this scum with. We need to protect Ziva. We need to find who did this to her," Abby declared.

"We will, Abbs," Tony assured her. "We will. Then we'll give him to Gibbs."

--

_He came out from behind Abby's second computer. Going through the back set of sliding glasses doors, he wiped his hands on a rag. Overhearing the last part of the conversation, he had to hold back a giggle._

They still have no idea it's me_, he thought with glee. Though he enjoyed this cat-and-mouse game between him and the rest of the NCIS team, he couldn't wait to get Ziva back home where she belonged. _It hasn't even been a day, and I ache for her already. I will have you home soon, my treasure.

"_Ma'am?" he asked politely, trying to show his good manners._

_  
"Not ma'am, Special Agent. Just Abby," she responded._

"_Sorry, ma…Abby. Your computer is all set up, updated with the new agency software. You should have no problem connecting with everyone in the building."_

"_Thanks!" she exclaimed. "I appreciate it," she ended before turning back around to her friends._

_Smiling to himself, he walked out of the lab, practically skipping with his happiness. _And so, the game continues.

_As the door of the elevator started to close, he looked up, finally allowing his smile to show and a tune to come as a whistle._

--

When he returned to the exam room, a nurse walking by told Gibbs that the woman inside had been admitted and moved to a different floor. Quickly finding out her new room, he headed up in the elevator to find her. When the doors slid open, he moved towards the hall her room was in, the heels of his shoes clicking loudly on the linoleum floor. The quiet of this wing was a somber counterpoint to the loud emergency room he had just left.

The doctor was inside talking with Ziva, discussing her current situation and the treatment they were going to be following. Taking a deep breath, Gibbs waited outside of the hospital room, giving them some privacy. Though he tried to prevent eavesdropping, he could not help but overhear their conversation. However, nothing Ziva was saying was loud enough for him to hear. Taking note of the doctor's concerns and follow-up treatment and appointments needed, Gibbs sought to remember what was going to be required to ensure her rapid and thorough recovery.

As the doctor changed to asking her questions about what had happened to her, questions she wasn't asking, Gibbs closed his eyes and sought strength from the gut everyone else seemed to rely on for answers. He needed those answers now. _Would she still be the assassin warrior Abby had nicknamed her? Would she still have the strength to fight through this? Or had the bastard broken her?_

Hearing the doctor say farewell to his patient, Gibbs opened his eyes, prepared for the worse, but still hoping for the best. Nodding a greeting to the man coming out of the room, Gibbs moved sideways and proceeding into the room.

She was laying on the bed, not moving, hardly breathing. Staring at the ceiling, she failed to even acknowledge his presence. Her hair was fanned out against the pillow, a stark black contrast to the white bedding beneath and around her.

Walking next to the bed, Gibbs gently said her name. "Ziva?"

--

She lay on the stiff hospital bed, staring at the ceiling. Though the doctor had come in to discuss her situation, Ziva had hardly paid attention. She was desperately wracking her brain, trying to remember something new, something to help the investigation. But her mind was still the endless black ocean, undulating back and forth, showing nothing but brief glimpses of light; the same glimpses she had seen with Ducky.

_Gibbs will want to know what happened. He will want to know anything and everything I can tell him. But what can I tell him? Nothing. Nothing to help._

Sighing, Ziva finally allowed herself to blink. The blankness of her mind was disturbing, disheartening. For one so used to being in control, her lack of memory made her feel like she was breaking apart at the edges. She needed to pull the parts of herself together, but she did not know how.

Hearing her name suddenly spoken caused a few little bits to come together. She allowed her head to move from the still position she had held it in to the location of the voice. Wincing slightly at the stiffness she encountered, she answered in her roughened voice.

"Gibbs. You are still here."

"Of course I am, Ziva. I needed to make sure you are going to be alright."

Sighing, she returned to her observation of the ceiling. "'All right' is a word subject to interpretation. I will live."

Making a comment on her study of what was above her, she said "Did you know that there 68 tiles on this ceiling?"

Pulling up a chair next to the bed, Gibbs sat down next to her. "Ziva?" When she did not look at him, he put his hand on hers. "Ziva look at me."

As she finally turned her gaze to his, he slipped his hand underneath hers. Feeling the coldness of her skin, Gibbs pulled it towards him, holding it to his chest. She stared at him with blank, hollow eyes, not even remembering to blink. The fire, so close to her surface, was banked and hidden away. The vacancy alone frightened him more than the injuries she sustained. He knew better than most that the scars of the mind were more damaging and healed slower than the injuries of the body.

"Ziva, it's me. It's Gibbs. You and I, we've gone through so much together. Let me help you with this. Let me help you like you helped me."

Finally, her lids fluttered a few times, a sign of her responding. Quietly, she began to speak. "I do not know how to let you help me, Gibbs."

Closing her eyes, she faced her head upwards again. Only then did she reopen. A single tear fell down her cheek, leaving a glistening trail in its wake.

"I am afraid. Afraid of what I do not remember. Afraid to remember what is hidden from me. What happened to me? Where have I been? Why did no one miss me?"

Every word uttered from the normally stoic woman was a dagger to his gut. The blame for this settled across his shoulders, a weight he had carried before. Reaching out with his other hand, he cupped her cheek, using his thumb to wipe at her trail of tears.

"Ziva, I am so sorry that I failed you. I should have pushed when the director told me about your email requesting leave. I should have pursued when you didn't contact any of us, not even Abby. I have always trusted my gut, Ziva, and I let it fail you. You are part of my team, a friend, someone I…care about. I should have protected you, and I failed. Ziva, I am so sorry."

The warmth of his hand invaded the cold spaces she was trying to hide from. More pieces of her unraveled soul began to shudder into place. Turning into his hand, Ziva sought the warmth that did not threaten, the peace to her tortured body. "I thought that one of your rules was to never apologize."

As he started to object, she stopped him. "Gibbs, this is not your fault. Nothing you did or did not do could have changed what happened to me. Of that, I am certain. He would not have stopped the kidnapping, nor would he have let me go any sooner."

Her lashes shimmering with the rest of her unshed tears, she finally spoke of the only true weakness of her body and her soul. "I need you, Gibbs. I need you to tell me everything is going to be okay, that you will find the person who did this. I need your strength now, or I do not know if I can get through this. I need you, Gibbs."

Leaning in, he kissed her forehead, a soft meeting of his lips with her skin. "You have me, Ziva. I'm here."

Caressing her hair with one hand, and clutching her hand to his body with the other, he tried to give her comfort, to share his strength. "You are going to be okay, Ziva. Your body will heal. And I will, we all will, help your mind and soul to heal as well. And I promise you, Ziva, I will catch the bastard who dared to harm you. And he will pay. Hurt for hurt, pain for pain, he will pay."

She closed her eyes with his speech, feeling a semblance of harmony enter her soul. _Gibbs will protect me now. I will be safe with him._ As his hand stroked her hair, words and sentences of their conversation started to drift through her mind.

Her eyelids snapping open, she asked "What was that you said about an email?"


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Gibbs leaned closer to her. "Did you remember something, Ziva? What about the email?"

He knew that bits and pieces of her memory would return at random moments; a smell, a sound, a sight, a touch, even a word could trigger something to let go and a memory to resurface. Patiently waiting, he started rubbing along her knuckles with his thumb, back and forth, trying to reassure her.

"I remembered before, with Ducky, about being held in a basement. But it did not start there. He took me from somewhere." She frowned, trying hard to concentrate, to force her memory to return. Sitting up, she furrowed her brow, intent on remembering something, anything.

"I was…sitting in my apartment, waiting for a pizza. Yes, I had ordered a pizza from Papa Don's. And then…I answered the door. But I was wearing something different. I was not wearing my running clothes. I was wearing my…pj's, Abby calls them. That is right. I was wearing the pajamas that Abby had given me for my birthday. Black, with little ninja men on them."

She tried to smile at that memory, but the pain from her lips stopped her. Water had been withheld from her for so long that her lips had chapped and split. So instead she just smiled in her memory: Abby's face, lit up and proud at the present she had picked out, assured that it was going to be a perfect choice; the slumber party after at Abby's house, cupcakes and chips and movies with attractive men; Tony and Tim calling up every half an hour, wanting to come over, wanting to know when the kissing would start.

Suddenly, the happiness of the memory began to overwhelm her as the present and a different set of memories began to crowd the happier ones out. _Will I ever want memories like those again? Happy memories? Memories of friends and love and laughter? Will everything be tainted by bits of memories returning?_

"I answered the door, and there was a man." Ziva tried desperately to remember his face, any characteristics that would aid the investigation. Disappointed, she collapsed back onto the bed.

"I cannot remember what he looks like, Gibbs. I can only see a blank face. Its blurry, undefined. "

"It is al lright, Ziva. You remembered something. You don't need to push yourself so hard. Your memories will come back to you." He returned to stroking her hair, since that seemed to help her relax earlier. "We have time. I am not going to pressure you to remember what you mind is not ready to let go of."

Looking at him with panic-stricken eyes, she asked, "But what if he comes back for me? How can I protect myself when he could be disguised as a nurse? A janitor? Anyone."

--

Looking up from her microscope. Abby groaned in frustration. There wasn't a single identifying tag on any of the hairs. She had nothing. Granted she could match the hairs to other samples that the team brought to her. But as for genetic identification, she had squat.

Dialing the number of the senior agent on the case, she waited for Tony to pick up.

"Agent DiNozzo."

Talking into the speakerphone, she responded "Tony! Its Abby."

"Got anything for me, Abbs?" Tony was pulled from his crime scene investigation to hear what evidence Abby had uncovered. She generally brought home the final run on cases; matching up DNA, fingerprints, strange coincidences that Gibbs never believed in. The whole team believed in her, believed she could find what others couldn't amongst the physical evidence of chaos.

"Nothing, Tony. This guy knows what he's doing. Each and every strand of hair had the tags cut from the end and stripped of any identifying trace. The blood you gave me, whatever samples were not Ziva's," Abby had to take a deep breath at that, solidifying herself against the pain of almost losing her friend. "The blood was faked. An interesting mixture of ketchup and cornstarch. It mimics congealed blood. But there's no other forensic evidence I can give you."

Tony closed his eyes in disappointment. But the disappointment he tried not to let sound in his voice. "Good job, Abby. We know at least now that this guy knows what he's doing, or at least enough to plant evidence and not leave any other trace behind."

"I guess so, Tony." Feeling a hand on her shoulder, she quickly turned around. "Hold on one second, Tony. Ducky's here. I'm going to put you on speaker." Pressing down the button, she turned to the medical examiner.

Giving the older man a tight hug, she asked "What are you doing here, Ducky?"

"Hello my dear. I brought you the trace evidence from Ziva's physical examination." Handing over the bags he brought, he waited for Abby to follow the chain of evidence by signing the evidence bags.

Looking up from putting her signature down on the evidence, she asked with her eyes round with concern, "How is she?"

Sighing, he was apprehensive of answering her question. "She's surviving. Her body will heal, but Jethro and I are worried for her mind. I am praying that she is not broken, that her spirit remains intact."

"Oh, Ducky," Abby cried, falling into his arms. Her eyes filled with tears, as she remembered that Tony was still on the phone.

"Tony? Are you still there?"

"I'm still here, Abbs."

"Did you hear what Ducky said?" she asked with concern. She knew each one of them were close to Ziva in their individual and unique ways. For Tony, she was his partner more than anyone else had been. As much as even Kate.

"Yes, Abby. She's alive, and that's all we can concentrate on. Ziva is going to be fine, and we're going to catch the bastard who did this."

"I know, Tony. I know. Okay, I'm going to go now. Ducky's here with more evidence. I'm going to process this as quickly as I can, so that I will be free for your stuff."

"Sounds good, Abby. I'll call you when we're headed back to the Naval Yard or if we find something new."

Closing the link to Tony's phone, Abby gave her full attention back to Ducky. "All right. Let's see what you've brought me."

--

Turning back to the other special agent, Tony shut off his phone. Taking a deep breath, he waited for McGee's questions.

"How is she, Tony?" Tim asked walking towards him.

"She's alive, McGee." Taking a deep breath, he tried to tell McGee what he had learned from Ducky and Abby, but didn't really want to talk about it again."Ducky has seen her and says she will survive. But his biggest concern is with her mind. He didn't say anything about the Boss, but I think Gibbs may still be with her."

Taking a deep breath, McGee went back to collecting the evidence, bagging it and storing it for transportation. Since the original email had come from Ziva's computer, he hoped to find some trail of the abductor's presence. Also, Tony hoped that Abby could find fingerprints or other trace evidence on the keyboard and computer monitor.

Having taken pictures of the computer room, Tony decided to move into the bedroom. Walking through the door, he started making notes of the state of the room; the unmade bed, the photos lying on the floor. When he moved to opposite side of the bed, what he saw chilled his blood.

"McGee! Get in here." When Tim came in running, Tony motioned to the floor at the stain below.

"Blood, Tim. I think this is blood."

--

_Because I will not let him harm you again, Ziva. I promise you. You are mine to protect._

Gibbs rubbed a balm over the cracked skin of her lips. Though it caused her a brief moment of pain at the initial contact, the balm seemed to soothe her tortured skin. He watched her as she closed her eyes, the distressing sting easing under his ministrations.

When she had turned fear-laden eyes to his, he felt his heart splinter. The unmasked terror at the shear thought of the predator returning nearly had Gibbs on his knees. And in that moment, nothing mattered more than protecting her.

Thus, he had made his vow. _Because I will not let him harm you again, Ziva. I promise you. You are mine to protect._ He would not allow another to touch her.

When her breathing slowed and he saw her slip into a more soothing sleep, he let go of her hand and moved to the hallway. Pulling out his phone, he dialed Tony's cell.

"DiNozzo."

"Tony, its Gibbs."

"Boss! How's Ziva?"

"She's surviving, Tony. She's surviving. What do you got for me?" With his phone pressed to his ear, he turned to look back at her. She seemed to be sleeping peacefully. But he knew it was only a matter of time before the nightmares started, and he wanted to be there when they did.

"McGee and I are at Ziva's house, collecting evidence. And Boss? There's blood on the floor next to her bed. It looks like he started here; whatever he had in store for Ziva began here. There's not a huge amount, but a substantial portion." Tony didn't how Gibbs was going to react to this news, but he knew that all information needed to be made available if they were going to solve this.

Wincing at the mention of Ziva's blood spilled, Gibbs raked a hand through his hair. "Did McGee get her computer? We need everything. Ziva told me…she said that he sent the email to the director, while she was tied up in the bedroom.

"He had subdued her with what she thinks was chloroform and dragged her to the bed, tying her up with scarves she has in the drawers. Then sent the email requesting leave. With that done, Ziva says he pulled her to the ground and made slices on her body, designed to weaken and disable her."

"God, Boss. How did she survive?" Tony's face drained of color as Gibbs told him what he knew.

"I don't know Tony. She's stronger than all of us." Seeing the woman in question becoming agitated, Gibbs knew he needed to cut the conversation short.

"Keep me informed, DiNozzo. I'm still at the hospital, waiting to hear from the doctors as to her prognosis and when she can leave."

"On it, Boss. And tell Ziva…tell Ziva…" For once Tony could think of nothing to say.

"I know Tony, and so does she." Hanging up the phone, he moved to her side as she began to thrash on the bed.

"Ziva, Ziva its okay. It's just a dream, Ziva. You're safe." As her thrashing became more violent and she started crying out, he grabbed her hand and started to brush along her hair and face.

--

Flashing of blood and pain flashed through her mind. Screaming out, she fought against the man who harmed her. A faceless man who made her scream, who caused her pain, who would not let up until she cried, until tears or screams came from her.

But then a voice pierced her terror. A stronger voice. One that promised safety. And this voice she knew she could trust, who would protect her from the predator.

Still asleep, she murmured a distress call. "Gibbs? Help me." Thrashing around, she tried to reach for him. But he just seemed to be always out of reach. "I need you, Gibbs."

When she felt a hand on her hair, Ziva struggled through her fear and opened her eyes. "Gibbs," she sighed in relief. "You really are here."

Fear still coursing through her body, she pleaded desperately, "Please do not leave me. I do not think I can stand this alone."

"I won't, Ziva. Sweetheart, I won't leave you." He had never called her an endearment before, but it seemed right. It seemed fitting to call her something special.

"Stay with me, Gibbs." Normally, she knew how strong she was, how independent. But right now, she needed comfort, she needed his arms around her.

Holding out her arms, she asked simply "Please," wanting, needing him to hold her.

Though he figured it was a bad idea, both medically and professionally, Gibbs climbed into the bed with her, wrapping her up in his arms. "You're safe, my Ziva. You are safe now."


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

She didn't care what Tony or McGee said. She didn't care what Ducky recommended. She didn't even care what Gibbs threatened. Abby knew was that she had to see Ziva. Over the years, she and Ziva had gotten so close. The team would call them unlikely sisters. And they were. So, nothing and no one was going to keep Abby from seeing her friend.

Slowly walking into the hospital room, she was surprised at what she saw. First, she was shocked to see Gibbs, protectively curling Ziva's body against his. Though Abby knew him to be a kind man, no one ever saw him being so gentle to anyone other than a child. It made her heart smile to see such a hard man softened. Next, she was horrified to see the damaged done to her friend. There were bruises, scrapes and cuts all over the skin exposed by the hospital gown and fallen blanket.

As she quietly made her way across the floor, her eyes filled up with tears. Her hands clutched against her mouth, she whispered brokenly "Oh, Gibbs."

--

His eyes immediately opened, no sign of him beginning to awaken, no stirring to suggest a regaining of consciousness. There was simply asleep and not. When he was intent on protecting someone, his senses were usually heightened, his sleep light. Only this time, he had slipped into unconsciousness too easily and had slept too comfortably. _It must have to do with who I'm sleeping with. Ziva. Why is it too easy for me to sleep next to you? I have to be careful that I don't put you in harm's way because of it._

Looking around, he tried to identify the source of the noise that roused him. When his eyes came across Abby, he relaxed. Motioning her closer, he whispered "Be quiet, Abbs. I finally got her to sleep. What's up?"

"I had to come to see her, Gibbs. I had to know she was going to be okay."

"I know Abby," he said as he sought to reassure her. "We're all worried for her. She's going to be fine. She's a fighter."

Abby nodded as she reached out to brush Ziva's arm, but froze as her touch caused her to stir and moan in her sleep. "Is she hurt everywhere, Gibbs?"

"Almost, Abbs. Almost. She's going to need all of us while she heals. And she may not be the same warrior we know. But she'll get there, Abby. She'll come back to us." But Gibbs didn't know if he was saying that to comfort her or himself.

"Okay, Gibbs. I just had to see her for myself. I had to know she is going to survive this. And she will. She will."

Since she couldn't touch Ziva without disturbing her, Abby held on to Gibbs' shoulder. "I'm going to go back to the lab. I left my babies running and processing, while Tim and Tony crashed on my futon. I promised I'd wake them up soon. If you need anything, either of you, please call one of us. We're in this together, Gibbs."

Before leaving, she asked one more thing of him. "Can you give her a kiss on the cheek for me, Gibbs? Let her know that I miss her, and I want her back soon."

All he could do was nod his head in response and in thanks. The way his team came together in crisis never failed to amaze him. Turning back to the woman in his arms, he leaned into kiss her forehead again before closing his eyes and drifting back to sleep.

--

_He walked through the hospital, unnoticed, undetected in his nursing scrubs. He raised no alarms dressed as he was. During his time working on the Bethesda computer mainframe, there had been a basket of leftover hospital wear near the room he was working in. Now that he could go visit Ziva whenever he wanted, he was so glad he'd had that foresight. _

_As he stalked the halls towards Ziva room, he had to divert his direction to the side of the walkway, next to the hospital map. Because coming down the hall was the Forensic Scientist, Abby. She would recognize him, from having talked with him earlier in the day. _

She must have been looking in on Ziva. How sweet._ Since she had shown such concern for his love, he would not hurt her if they were to meet under other, more difficult circumstances. _

_Finally reaching the room, he clapped his hands with glee, careful of the item in his left hand. He was finally going to see his treasure, his beautiful Ziva. He clasped his present for her. She was going to be so happy to see him. _

_Pulling back the curtain, he was stopped short. His treasure was in the arms of another man. Rage flowed through his body. _How dare she allow another man to touch her!!

_Walking up menacingly to the two, he stood over them, his right hand clenched in violence. He would pay, they both would pay for this betrayal. And he would get such pleasure from extracting the payment. In fact, he would make Ziva watch as he destroyed the mind and body of the one she let touch her precious body._

_Before turning to walk away, he left his dark present on the pillow next to her head, where she was sure to see it when she woke up. It would do her no good to forget about him, and this was sure to remind her._

--

As she slowly began to wake up, Ziva felt somehow different. Instead of waking up in terror, she felt comforted, safe. As she eyes fluttered open, she looked up at the reason why. Lying on the hospital bed with her, Gibbs was nestled against her, arms surrounding her. _Gibbs is the reason why? He must be._

Reaching up, she let her fingers stroke the side of his face. A face of character, one she could trust. _Gibbs would never hurt me. He promised to keep me safe._ She let her hand come to rest against his cheek, her thumb stroking the corner of his lips.

For the first time in days, she did not fear the next person to walk through the doors. She did not fear waking or sleeping. She did not fear being alive. She did not want to lose that feeling. So, instead she was comfortable to just lie in his arms and gaze over his face, seeking new memories to cover the old ones that were bubbling to the surface.

Watching him like this, Ziva could tell the moment he began to wake. He didn't stretch, he didn't groan. Gibbs simply took a deep breath, and his eyes slowly opened. Her hand still cradled against his face, she said "Good morning, Gibbs."

"Good morning, Ziva. How long have you been awake? Are you feeling well? Do you need more pain medicine?" His concern for her grew when he woke to find her watching him. He had planned to not have her alone for a moment, awake or not, until the bastard that hurt her was caught and dealt with. But as she held him, trust emanating from her eyes, his concern wasn't the only thing that grew.

_Knock it off, _he told that other, more unruly part of him. _Now is not the time to be lusting after a woman who was near death yesterday._ Even though he warned himself against those feelings, his body was not listening to him, as she clutched him so trustingly. Ziva was a warm presence invading every space and nerve in his body.

"So many questions, Gibbs. Let me see. I have been awake for only a few moments before you. Other than it feels like every inch of my body is sore or hurting, I am feeling better. Thank you for staying with me." The old Ziva began to peep out, ashamed of such weakness. "You do not need to stay, Gibbs. I am sure there is much that you need to do this morning."

Grabbing the hand holding his face, he brought it to his lips. Leaving a light kiss against the tortured knuckles, he responded, "I am needed here more than any other place, Ziva. My first concern is protecting you and seeing you safe. You are my only concern now. The others can handle the case. They will find who did this to you. And then we will finish this." Ever since Ziva had been found, he had made a number of vows, mainly to her. He prayed that he could keep them.

Trying to change the conversation to something that would ease the fear that began to blossom in her eyes, he told her about her visitor. "Abby came to see you in the middle of the night. She was waiting for her 'babies,' as she calls them, to give her something. So, she took that time to come and see you. She misses you and worries about you. We all do. I promised her we'd see you safe and well again. Oh, and she wanted me to give you this."

Leaning in, he gave her a tender kiss against the softness of her cheek. He lingered longer than he should, savoring the feel of her against his lips. When he heard the brief intake of air, Gibbs pulled back afraid he had hurt her somehow. But instead of seeing pain in her dark eyes, he saw desire and confusion mixed together.

As he went to say something to ease the situation, Gibbs saw something dark lying against the whiteness of the pillow. "What's this?" he asked, reaching over to pick up the black orchid that lay there.

When she moved her head to look at what he was picking up, she stared in horror. And screamed.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Gibbs paced the span of Abby's lab, each step eaten away by the length and veracity of his strides. Engulfed with guilt and overcome with rage, he could no longer stand still, waiting for the test results. So, instead he paced, driving everyone else in the room a bit crazy.

_How could this happen? How could I let the bastard get so close to her?_ Ever since he had found that blasted flower, ever since Ziva had screamed in terror, he had been racking his brain, trying to find answers. Instead, he found only a depth of warmth for her that he was frantically trying to ignore. He'd either never had these feelings for her before, or he'd so completely pushed them down that even he hadn't known about them. _And because of that, I put her in jeopardy. He could have killed us both, and I wouldn't have been able to stop it. No more! _He would risk her life no more.

"We're going to have around the clock shifts with her," he stated, causing the rest of the team to roll their eyes slightly. Not because they didn't want to protect Ziva, but because he had already gone over this about three times before. They were all deeply affected by Ziva's ordeal, and all wanted to find the man who was pursuing her.

"Tony!" He barked.

Jumping up in surprise, Tony blurted out, "Yes, Boss?"

"Did you get that security feed from Bethesda?"

"Yeah. McGee's working on it now, trying to isolate a picture of this guy."

"McGee. Status."

Almost afraid to report, McGee kept his eyes on the computer he was working on, though he pulled up the footage on Abby's largest screen. "There's nothing, Gibbs. No face shot, no profile shot, no reflection, nothing. This guy knew where all the cameras were avoided them the whole time. And other than the orchid, he never touched anything. Not even in the elevator. He made sure to get someone else to push the button for him. So, there's no surface to print. I've got nothing."

"Abby! Tell me you've got something."

"Gibbs, barking at all of us isn't going to make us find anything any sooner. We all want to help Ziva, to make her safe again. But we can't if you're screaming at us."

"Abby…" he warned.

"There were no prints on any of the petals, and right now I'm trying to get any trace evidence from the stem where he was holding it. I may be able to get some sweat or epithieals."

Grumbling, he continued to pace, on occasion looking over to Ziva, who was curled up on the futon next to Abby. Ever since the scream that froze his blood, she had been in that comatose state. The doctor at the hospital told him she could be released, as long as someone was always with her, as long as she was never alone. Gibbs had quickly agreed, needing to get out there with the investigation, needing to make sure that she was safe.

"What about the orchid? What is the significance of that? It means something to him. He carved it on her back and left it as a reminder on her pillow. How did he know about her last undercover mission?"

When the other team members looked up in confusion, he clarified. "Her code name. On our last mission, her code name was Black Orchid. How did he know that? Did she tell him? HASN'T ANYONE THOUGHT OF THAT?!"

He couldn't contain his rage anymore. Turning back towards Ziva, he was startled to see her looking at him. Rushing to her side, he knelt down. "Ziva? Ziva are you okay?"

"Gibbs. I remember. He works here." She whispered faintly.

"What do you mean, Ziva? Where does he work?"

"NCIS."

--

When her scream brought the floor's entire nursing staff to her room, Ziva knew she would have to leave the hospital soon, if just to leave the nurses with some semblance of sanity. She was ashamed at her fear, at her behavior. _Where was the strong Mossad agent everyone was so intimidated by?_

The only thing she was grateful for was, because of her fit, several glass bottles and other paraphernalia had fallen to the ground. In an act of contrition, Ziva swooped down to help clean up, palming a solid, jagged piece. Th_e next time he comes for me, I will be ready. I will not be so easy to subdue. _As she dressed, she pocketed the glass, making sure she remained undetected. When the doctor gave his final approval, along with strict guidelines as to her physical and mental care, Gibbs loaded her up into his Charger and headed towards the Navy Yard.

The sight of the black orchid had sent her into a spasm of remembered hell. At the vision of a normally beautiful floor, she fell into a catatonic state, reliving some of the horrors of the past two weeks. Ziva was aware of her surroundings; of Gibbs' rage at having slept through her intruder's visit, of being unable to help her. But she just couldn't seem to bring herself to say what he needed to hear.

The black orchid was more than just a symbol, and she knew she would have to tell Gibbs and the rest of the team soon enough. But for now, she couldn't break out of the shell her torture had created around her.

Under Gibbs' guidance, she entered the NCIS headquarters, ushered quickly into the elevator and down to Abby's lab. Though Abby was a normal ball of Caf-Pow caffeine induced excitement, she managed to tamp it down for her friend. Somehow, the girl knew not to be her traditional self. Ziva felt too fragile to have to deal with that much enthusiasm. Instead, Abby came at her slowly, her eyes filled with tears.

The gentle way she handled Ziva showed more than words how much she cared and worried for her friend. Having received a call from Gibbs saying that they were on their way, Abby had prepared an area for her: quiet lights, her comfy futon, candles and warmth. Ziva tried to smile to show her appreciation, her thanks for having such a beautiful friend, but nothing could penetrate the barrier.

As the team worked the case, Tony pouring over suspects (_how had they come up with suspects without any evidence_), Tim studying the video footage (_dear McGee, he would blame himself when he could not find anything_) and Abby (_her friend_), Ziva concentrated on the sounds of Gibbs' ferocious route and mutterings.

By focusing on Gibbs' agitation and the normal sounds of the team working, she felt herself slowly begin to rise to the surface. Inch by inch, she dragged herself out of the tortuous hole her predator had made for her. As she finally near the surface of reality, she heard Gibbs yell about her orchid and broke free.

After she dropped the bombshell of her torturer being an NCIS agent, the team broke into chaos as Gibbs stayed close to her face.

"Quiet," he yelled. "Let her speak." Turning back to Ziva, he urged, "Go on, Ziva. Tell us what you remember."

And she did.

She spoke quietly, and mainly just to him. Her peace. Gibbs. "He works here, an NCIS agent. I do not know his name, and I still cannot remember what he looks like. But I do remember more now."

"He knew my code name because he has been keeping track of my movements, as well as the movements of the team. He calls me Black Orchid, or his treasure, telling me it fits my person; black hair, soft skin." She shuddered at that, remembering his touch. "He will come for me, Gibbs. When it is time, he will come for me again. He promised."

"Ziva, listen to me. No matter what, I will not let him take you. I will always come for you." He moved next to her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder, pulling her head into his shoulder.

"Do you promise, Gibbs?"

"Yes, my Ziva. I promise."

--

_After a tantrum that left the upstairs in a chaotic mess, he made his way to the chamber below the house. No longer could any person, sane or otherwise, consider what was below ground a basement. No, to him it was simply the Chamber. The floor where his fantasies became reality, where his instruments of torture left those who entered begging; either from pleasure or pain. Sometimes, he liked to consider that both met within the walls. A not-so-silent meeting of opposites. _

_Walking up to his wall of memories, he reached out a scarred hand and let it drift over the pictures of his Black Orchid. _Such wonderful memories, _he thought._ Such beautiful pictures of his treasure.

_As his word for her crossed his mind, he snarled and picked up a nearby knife, slashing at the photos. His pain at her betrayal a nasty, violent thing, beating in his chest._

How could she deceive me, betray me for that…that…Marine!_ He could think of no other word to describe his utter distaste for the man she chose. But he would get even. His mind already swirling with his performance of revenge. _

_First, his Black Orchid. He would have her back, back in the place where they had been truly as one. Then he would take the Marine, Leroy Jethro Gibbs. He would make the man watch the woman suffer, knowing that he was the ultimate cause of her greatest pain. And then finally, before he ended their wretched lives, he would bring his Black Rose down to his chamber. He knew she would not betray him. Through her acts of love and friendship to his Orchid, he knew that this Rose would never betray him._

_Before turning to prepare the chamber, he let his hand settle on one final picture, a single word drifting from his lips._

"Abby."


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

After Ziva's announcement and subsequent revealing of what she could now remember, the team was in upheaval Each one wanted to protect Ziva. While at the same time, each wanted to find the man who had harmed her. Tony needed to protect his partner who had done the same for him countless times, but wanted to interrogate each and every agent at the NCIS headquarters. The information Ziva had shared had fired his gut, telling him that the perpetrator must work in the building with them, and in fact could be someone they all knew. Tim wanted to stand outside, gun drawn, while needing to hack into every computer he could get his hands on. And Abby, she needed to keep hugging Ziva, to keep touching her face, even as she protected her with whatever firearm happened to be ready to check out. Abby wasn't the firearms expert for nothing. Throughout the arguments and debates, Gibbs remained silent.

During all this, Ziva watched, too drained from her talking to say much, reaching around to touch the words carved into her lower back. The doctors had promised they could get rid of it, but a disfiguring scar of some sort would always remain; the cuts were too deep to vanish when they healed. When Abby saw her worrying it, she promised to take Ziva out after the surgeries to get a tattoo to cover any evidence of what had been done to her. All Ziva could do was smile at her friend, knowing that the tattoo would end up symbolizing more that just a way to cover her scars.

But when Tim, Tony and Abby started to debate where she should go, she finally spoke out.

"No, I cannot go back to my place. It…it is not my home anymore. I will not sleep there. I cannot sleep there." The utter panic on her face instantly convinced the team to eliminate her apartment as a possible safe place for her to be. Tim and Tony had both seen the state of her place: the overturned furniture, the slashed walls, the blood on the floor. Even though she was physically healing, the wounds in her memories could not as easily be forgotten.

In the end, despite his silence, Gibbs won out. The team decided that the best protection for Ziva was at Gibbs' house, with FBI agents in cars outside providing additional support. He had plenty of rooms, and after what had happened the night before, Gibbs was not likely to sleep for a very long time. The coffee in his hand being constantly refilled would ensure that.

--

While Tony made arrangements for Ziva's additional protection detail, McGee and Gibbs went back to her apartment to gather some items she would need, leaving her in Abby's care and Tony's protection. Using Ziva's own key, Gibbs took his first step into the location of her abduction. Looking around, he didn't know what he should expect.

From her few descriptions of what she remembered, he thought to see her home contaminated in some way, to see evidence of evil oozing black down the walls. Instead, the rooms resembled every crime scene he had ever investigated. Broken lamps, shredded pillows and fabric strewn around, destruction poured over every surface.

McGee and Gibbs shared a look of understanding at the devastation and ruination of Ziva's home. This was no longer Ziva's retreat, her place to let go and be at peace. The rooms were contaminated, the invisible stench of putrefaction overwhelming the mind.

Moving through the rooms, the two men picked up items they knew she needed, like clothes and toiletries, as well, as items they knew she wanted, precious memories and photographs. But nothing that had been touched by her perpetrator was picked up by either of them.

When Gibbs entered her room, he was once again overpowered with rage at the sight of her spilt blood. As he clenched his fists, McGee had the foresight to usher him out of the room before anger and guilt got the best of him.

"Come on, Gibbs. Let's get out of here."

Focusing on the younger agent, he responded. "Okay, Tim. Let's get back to NCIS and the rest of the team."

--

The more Ziva remembered and the more she revealed, the more her old self began to return. She still couldn't remember the man and not everything that had happened over the last two weeks. What she could recall simultaneously terrorized her and fired her determination to never have that happen again. Ziva David was no victim, and she resolved to never be one again.

Standing up from her protected position on the floor, she turned to a worried, hovering Abby. "It is okay, my friend. I will be okay. Thank you for that," she said, gesturing to the floor. "It helped more than you could ever know."

Giving her a big hug, Abby smiled and returned to her equipment, still trying to extract whatever lay on the stem of the orchid. Reaching for her ever-present Caf-Pow, she was shocked to see she was empty.

"Tony!" she exclaimed. "I need more Caf-Pow, stat. And I'm sure Ziva could use a coffee or a water or something."

As Tony turned to protest, Abby held up a hand to stop him. Pulling out the gun she had at her waist, she answered his unspoken question. "I will protect her. She's not going anywhere, and no one is going to take her while I'm packing this baby. But I need my Caf-Pow, now!" Putting the gun back in its holster, she raised an eyebrow waiting for his reaction.

Holding up his hands in surrender, Tony started backing out of the lab. "Okay, okay, Abby. I'm on my way. What would you like, Ziva?" he asked tentatively.

"A water would be fine, Tony. Thank you." She returned the smile he gave her before he left, though a tremor of fear shuddered through her as the numbers around her dwindled.

Turning back to Abby, she asked, "Have you found anything yet, Abby? Anything at all?"

Sighing, Abby answered. "No, not a thing. Whoever this is knows his stuff. I mean, he cut the tags off the hairs, left no identifying trace on anything he touched. Its like he's a ghost or something. If we didn't have video of him, I'd wonder if her was even there."

Quickly turning toward Ziva, she stammered, trying to cover over her fumble. "I mean, we know he's real. We know what he did to you was real. But I mean…I'm sorry, Ziva."

"Its okay, Abby. You did not mean any harm by it. I understood what you meant. I may be fragile right now, but I am not crazy. I will be okay."

"Of course you will, Ziva," Abby cried out as she hugged the other woman again. "Of course you will."

After that awkward moment, the two remained silent until Tony returned from his sustenance run. "I got a Caf-Pow for you, Abbs."

"Thanks," she said, taking a huge, long sip from the caffeinated beverage.

"A water for Ziva," he continued, drawing out her name like he did when he would play with her, making it sound like Zee-vah.

"Thank you, Tony," Ziva responded, taking the water from him.

"And a coffee for me. I did grab some cookies and chips, figuring someone may be hungry."

"You mean you were hungry, Tony." Abby teased, hoping the lighter atmosphere would help her injured friend.

"Well, that too." Tony replied, tearing open a bag of chips.

"Did you find anything, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked, grabbing Tony's coffee as he walked by.

A potato chip halfway in his mouth, he pulled it back out and said sheepishly "No, not yet, Boss. But I have arranged for a protection detail for Ziva."

Popping it back in, he asked McGee, who followed Gibbs inside "Did everything go okay at Ziva's place?"

Looking over at Gibbs before answering, McGee pulled Tony aside and whispered, "Yeah, it was rough. Gibbs didn't handle it well. But we got some of Ziva's stuff."

McGee showed Tony the suitcase and pack he had brought along. He and Gibbs had not wanted Ziva to go back for awhile, so they made sure to bring back enough of what they thought she would need. Tony nodded in understanding, feeling a bit proud of McGee, in a big brother sort of way. Not that he would admit that, of course.

Seeing that Ziva was now standing up, McGee walked over to her. "Here's your stuff. I hope we grabbed what you needed," he added, blushing slightly.

"Thank you, Tim," was all she said before giving him a slight kiss on the cheek. Taking the bags from him, she set them on the floor next to her makeshift sanctuary.

Deciding it was time for her next revelation, she said, "I have been thinking, " to a chorus of eyes turning her way. "He…" she paused, taking a large gulp of air, "I think he has insects in the computers."

"Do you mean bugs, Ziva?" McGee asked encouragingly.

"Yes, bugs. I remember him telling me information about all of you, what you were doing while I was…gone. Things only the team would know, unless he had eyes and ears where he should not. I believe he may work in that area."

Before Gibbs could say a word, McGee called out "On it, Boss." Dashing upstairs he made his way to his computer, where he would have a greater access to his hacking network.

"That's good, Ziva. Real good." Gibbs said, walking up beside her. "Are you doing okay? Do you need anything?"

Shaking her head in the negative, she responded "Tony went and got me a water when Abby needed her Caf-Pow. I do not need anything."

"Tony…" Gibbs started, menacingly.

"Easy, Gibbs." Abby said, intersecting him before he could start threatening Tony. "Ziva was safe. I was here, and I know how to protect her." She gestured toward the gun next to her keyboard.

Gibbs eased off, not just for Abby's reasoning, but also for Ziva. His normally fighting warrior had flinched slightly at the aggression in his voice. Turning his attention back to her, he noticed her stifling a yawn.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked softly.

Though panic momentarily overcame her, Ziva mentally armed herself for more changes. "Yes, Gibbs. I am ready to leave."

Putting his arm around her, Gibbs sought to comfort the fear he saw crowding her eyes. "You're safe now, Ziva. We're all going to make sure of that." He gestured for Tony and Abby to join him. Abbs grabbed her up in a hug; Tony put his arm around her. "And you know Tim is working as only he can to find the bugs, to find some trace of him. We'll get Ziva. We promise."

"Yes, Gibbs," she replied, wishing that were true, knowing it could not be.

Because the man who took her was already ten steps ahead of them. And Ziva knew he was coming for her.

--

_He watched the data pour in from his connections in Abby and McGee's computers to his personal computer. _ So, his Orchid was starting to remember, and using the information to try to help her team find him. She must know how futile that would be. No matter, _He thought, laughing._

_He was not afraid of what she may reveal to the NCIS team. The precautions already in place would only give them enough information to tantalize, not to actually expose who he was. The information was gone in any case, just a name. No face, no address, nothing to actually give them anything of value. Just enough to edge them farther into carelessness. Then, his time to play would come again._

_As information regarding her protection details started coming in, he knew it was almost time to act. Soon, both of his flowers would be in his lovely, dark chamber. One to watch and blossom. Another to wither and die._

--

Gibbs pulled into the garage of his place, turning off the engine. Ziva had been unnaturally quiet the entire drive. Reaching over, he took her hand to reassure her, unnerved by the jolt of electricity that went up his arm at the contact. Mentally shaking himself, he said, "We're here, Ziva. Time to go inside."

She shook herself to consciousness, the car ride serving to almost hypnotize her the length of the drive. Giving him a slight smile, the best she could do in the circumstances, she pushed open the passenger door, swinging her long legs out on to the concrete.

As Gibbs went to the trunk to grab her bags, she watched him with haunted eyes, needing to keep him in her sight. Not because she was scared of him, but because he was her only hold on sanity right then, her hold on reality for that matter. Following him inside, she shook her head no when she asked if she was hungry.

"I am okay, Gibbs. Just tired." Once she had started feeling safe, exhaustion had pulled at her bones, begging her for a respite.

"You're going to be staying in my room, Ziva. There are two unmarked, FBI cars outside, with two agents in each one. I will be either outside your door, or patrolling the house to make sure no one gets in. I promised you safety. And I will deliver that for you."

"I know, Gibbs. I trust you." _But I trust him to be more determined to retrieve me_, she thought but did not say, as she fingered the words carved into her back. She didn't want him to worry about her more, because the devastation when she disappeared again might be too much for the team to comprehend. Fingering the shard of glass in her pocket, she steeled herself against the possible pain from the shower and followed Gibbs upstairs to his room.

As he held the door open for her, he could almost feel the fear coming off of her in waves. There was nothing more he could say or do to convince her of her safety, so he would have to prove it.

"The bathroom is there, behind those doors. There's a shower as well if you would like one." He saw her perk up a bit at that. Deciding a shower would probably help her spirits, to wash the memories from her skin, he put down her bags and looked for something comfortable for her to wear. That's when he realized he and McGee had forgotten to pack something for her to sleep in.

"Um…I guess I'll have to get something for you to wear tomorrow. But for now, would some of my clothes do?" When she nodded yes, he pulled out a t-shirt and boxers from the dresser. Grabbing her hand, he pulled her inside of the bathroom.

Turning on the water to a nice, soothing heat, he placed the clothes on the sink, along with her toothbrush that he had grabbed from her bag, and turned to her.

"There's shampoo and soap inside. Do you need anything else?" He needed to get out of there before the thoughts of her inside the steamy shower undid his determination to leave her in peace.

She blushed as she considered what she needed help with. Her pants were no problem. Washing her hair was also not going to be a problem. But lifting her shirt over her head, she didn't think she could do it. Keeping her eyes on the floor in her shame, she asked "Can you…can you help me with my shirt? I do not think I can do it by myself."

Walking towards her, he lifted her chin so that her eyes would meet his. "You don't need to be ashamed for needing help, Ziva. You're the victim here. I will help you with whatever you will need." He didn't realize how those words would come back to haunt him so soon.

Trying to keep his mind blank, he reached underneath her shirt, his hands brushing the soft skin at her sides. His blank mind was not helping, as he took in a quick breath in the same moment she did. Her skin heated under his hands as they skimmed over her, pulling the shirt gently over her head. He realized too late that she was wearing nothing underneath.

Seeing the supple flesh exposed, his blue eyes darkened as he lingered his gaze over the soft mounds. Tracing the skin up with his eyes, he met the intensity of her own dark eyes. Leaning in, his lips seemed to seek out hers, a life of their own. Pulling her to him, he deepened the kiss, needing to feel more of her against him. Her breasts pinned between them, her nipples pearling in her passion. At the first heat flooding them, her knees buckled, no longer able to support her. He reached behind her to steady her against him, not wanting to let her go.

But when her cry of pain finally pierced the curtain of his desire, he pulled away. His arm behind her back had come in fierce contact with her brand. "Ziva…god…Ziva…I am so sorry. I didn't mean…I'll leave. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to touch you like that.

While Gibbs had meant to apologize for putting pressure on her injuries and adding to her pain, Ziva mistook it to mean that he regretted touching her and did not want to again touch someone as damaged and scarred she was. "It is okay, Gibbs. I know you did not mean for that to happen. I can handle my shower now. Thank you." With shaking legs, she turned unsteadily from him, making her way to the steam and water.

"Ziva…I…" he didn't know what to say to make the situation worse, so he turned around and left, closing the door between them. Leaning back against it, he heard the whisper sound of the shower door shutting. "Oh, Ziva. What have I done?" He couldn't regret the feel of her against him, the passion that had ignited a burning need he didn't know how to ease.

But he did regret hurting her, because his words had been as callous as his handling of her. The pain in her eyes evidence of that. He would find a way, to say or to show her that he did not care about her scars, inside or out. That for some unknown reason, her situation had woken up a protectiveness and caring that he didn't know he still had. She had marked him, and he would see her marked in the same way.


	9. Chapter 8

_**This story is now NC-17, or FRAO, or however you wish to rate it as it has a love scene. Do not read if you are underage. Seriously now.**_

Chapter 8

The soft whimpers and quiet cries coming from his bedroom did not cause panic in Gibbs. Hearing them the first time, he had entered the room in concern, only to find her lying in bed, the sheet a tangled mess surrounding her, her mind racing in disturbing dreams. He knew that she would have to go through this part, the mind catching up to the body, struggling to remember what had happened to her.

No, what caused Special Agent Gibbs to charge up the stairs, while he was in the middle of checking the locks and windows for a fifth time, was the sound of distress and then a heart-stopping scream. Dread flooded his chest as he panicked that he had left her unprotected, that the bastard who had hurt her the first time had returned to finish the hell he had created.

Bursting into the room, his Sig drawn and ready to gun down whoever was threatening her, he proceeded to clear the room. He checked behind the dresser, in the bathroom, even under the bed. After he found nothing to indicate an intruder or any other threat to her, he turned back to the FBI agents who had come charging in after him and told them that the room was clear. "It must have been a nightmare. You can go back to you positions."

Nodding in understanding, they holstered their weapons and turned. When the room emptied, he quietly walked back to the bedroom door and shut it after them. Turning around to take care of the woman in his bed, he put his gun back in the holster.

Approaching the bed cautiously, he called out, "Ziva?" She sat on the bed frozen, having not moved a muscle when he and the other men had entered the room. Clutching the sheet to her chest, she stared out into nothing, her eyes glazed in fear. Sitting down slowly, he made a place for himself on the bed, facing her. Taking a hand, he brushed the hair from her face.

"Ziva? It's me. It's Gibbs." He continued to stroke her hair, seeking to calm her like before. The longer he brushed his hand through the black cloud framing her, the more her eyes started to refocus on her current moment, and not on the memory that haunted her still. "Sweetheart, can you come back to me now?"

------------------------------------

Blinking quickly, she came out of her nightmare to see her protector sitting next to her. She thought of him as her protector, the protector of all of them. The one who stood now between safety and menace she did not understand. "Gibbs," she said quietly. "I am sorry. I had a dream, a night dream you call them. I dreamt about him, the one who did this to me. I still cannot see his face, but I remembered more of what he did to me."

"Nightmare, Ziva. What you had is called a nightmare. You don't need to talk about it if it's too much for you right now. There'll be time for that later."

At his defining of her dream, her body suddenly was racked with violent shivers, the memories of her torture working their way out of her skin. As her body shook uncontrollably, she felt his arms wrap around her again, steadying her trembling. She clung to him as she fought to calm herself.

As the shaking lessened, Ziva lifted her head. Looking into his eyes, she said, "I am better now. Thank you." But when she felt him begin to move away, she clung onto him again.

"Please. I know you do not want to, but please stay. I cannot be alone right now. I need you, Gibbs. Please."

"Ziva, I…" he stammered, unsure if he could give her the comfort she needed. She needed someone neutral, someone who wouldn't try to kiss her again. His basic primal need to protect her had developed to include an unexpected desire for her. His timing couldn't be worse. So, he would protect her, even from himself, as long as he could.

"Please, Gibbs. Just tonight. Every time I am alone, I feel his presence. It only seems to go away when you are around. Please, Gibbs."

At the fear and desperation in her eyes, he felt his resolve crumble. He could only hope that he could get through the night. _Its only for one night. I can handle one night. Ziva needs me._ Nodding his head, he stood and waited while she quickly scrambled over to give him room. Though he had every intention of staying on top of the sheets, he was thwarted when she threw open the covers to let him in.

Taking a deep breath, he ignored the warning in his gut and slipped in under his worn cotton sheets. Laying flat, hands at his sides, he concentrated on his breathing. In and out. In and out. But when she shifted over, he couldn't resist putting his arm around her as she settled into his side, her head on his shoulder.

Though she lay against him perfectly still, he knew she was still awake. Her body was tense with the remnants of fear from her nightmare. She started playing with the buttons on his shirt before she said anything.

"Gibbs, he did not actually rape me. I know what Ducky saw, and I know what he told you," she said, stopping him before he could interrupt her with contradictions. "Yes, he hurt me…there. But he only beat me; he did not actually…penetrate me. I need you to know that. I need you to know that he did not rape me in that manner."

While she spoke as if in confession, she had unbuttoned his top two buttons. Now, as she continued, her hand began to play with the third. "He tortured me, yes. He had objects, I do not remember what, but he had objects that he beat me everywhere with, in the beginning. Some places with greater viciousness than others." She did not elaborate, knowing he would understand what she meant.

"But once at I had lost my drive to fight, he ceased to punish me in that way. That is why I am look like I had been raped. The injuries had begun to heal over this last week, when he left me in the park."

"Ziva, you don't need to say anything. I am here to comfort you, not for you to feel that you have to explain yourself. If you need to talk, I am here for that too. But do not blame yourself for what that bastard did to you."

He was having a difficulty making sense to himself. The emotions coursing through him were at odds with each other. On one hand, he felt a burning rage to find the man – the animal – who had sought to break her. On the other, he was burning with something else entirely, as her hand had slipped beneath his shirt to caress the chest beneath.

"Ziva…I." His breath caught in his throat at the feel of her hand against him. Everywhere she touched, he burned.

"Gibbs, I am not explaining what happened because I feel guilty or because I blame myself. I am explaining what happened to my body because I need you." She raised herself onto her elbow, her head in her hand, cheek resting against the palm.

"I need you to understand that he did not enter me because I need you. I want you. I want you to erase his touch from me. I need your touch. I need it to heal me. I want you, Jethro. I always have."

Her eyes were wide pools of desire and pain, a combination his body was having a hard time fighting against. Half of him wanted to protect her and erase the pain that had left behind great slashes of pain in her eyes. The other half of him was responding to the desire burning its way through her eyes.

As she leaned in, her mouth a whisper's breath away from his, she begged softly "Please, Jethro," before closing the final distance of their lips.

He tried to keep his eyes open as a final resistance. Gibbs did not want to hurt her again, did not want to use or mistreat her. He wanted to care for her, to behave as a gentleman, honorably. He was discovering that he wanted her to be safe and well above all things.

But he was finding that any distance he was trying to put up between them, any barrier he erected to protect her, to keep her out, was not as secure as he thought. In fact, he was quickly discovering that she was burrowing a place in his heart, and he was afraid he might never get her out again. May in fact not want to.

As her lips moved over his, coaxing a response from his body, he felt whatever resistance and good intentions he may have had crumble beneath her heat. With a silent sigh of relief, he gave in and shut his eyes, returning her kiss.

"Ziva," he moaned as she deepened the kiss.

------------------------------------

Desperation had driven her to seduce Gibbs, to erase the touch of the other from her lips and body. But when her lips came in contact with his and she felt him given in to her, other feelings started to invade her body: lust, need, heat, and above all a gentleness for the man below her.

The hand inside his shirt began to explore and caress, much as his lips were now exploring her lips, his tongue caressing and playing with her own. Underneath her touch, she felt the crispness of the small bit of silvery hair on his chest. Running her fingers through it, she moved lower, feeling the hardened muscles, the heated skin, scarred in places. As she moved down, she unbuttoned more of his shirt.

Coming to one of his nipples, she twisted it lightly, feeling him pull her harder against him, though she could feel how he fought with himself to remain gentle. Flicking the taut nub, she felt his hands move under the t-shirt she wore, scorching her skin where he touched.

Breaking the contact of their lips, Gibbs moved lower, licking and nibbling along her jaw line. Needing better access to her, he shifted, rolling her onto her back. Pushing his hands up, he bared the skin he had seen only briefly, lifting her shirt gently over her head.

"You are so beautiful, Ziva. My Ziva," he groaned. Returning to her face, he kissed her again. But it wasn't enough. "I need to feel you against me," he urged. Biting her lip in anticipation, she finished unbuttoning the last few buttons. As she began to push the shirt off of his shoulders, she stopped mid-way through, unable to extend any further.

"I am sorry, Jethro. I cannot lift it any higher."

Quickly, he drew his shirt up and threw it across the room. Returning to his discovery of her body, he said, "Don't worry. Let me. Let me lead. Let me worship you. You are so beautiful. You're taking my breath away."

"Do not, Jethro. I know how I look. I have seen the marks on my body. Tell me anything, but do not lie to me." She turned her head in shame, afraid he would turn from her in disgust if he preceded any further.

Taking her face in his hand, he turned her to face him again. "You are beautiful, Ziva. The marks, the marks are temporary. They are not you. There are many things I wish to do to you now, but I will never lie to you. I respect and admire you too much."

She wanted to argue with him, to tell him that he need not treat her as a child. But she saw the truth in his eyes. To him, she was not scarred and broken. She was marked. But as he had said, only temporarily. The wounds would heal, and with his help, so would her soul.

"Make love to me, Jethro. Erase his touch from me and replace it with yours. I need to feel your hands on me. I need to feel you inside me."

He needed no more encouragement than that. Using his body, he would worship her, make love to her until the doubts and pain left her eyes and only desire for him would be left behind.

Her face still in his hold, he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. As he sliced his mouth across, he deepened the kiss, tracing his tongue over the plumpness of her lips. When she slowly opened her mouth, Gibbs took advantage of the change and invaded the hot space.

Encouraging her to join him, he played along inside, teasing her tongue with his own. When she joined in the play, he taunted her to deepen their contact. As their tongues battled for dominance, he released his hold on her face to explore the soft skin he exposed.

He rested his hand on the hollow of her shoulder, rubbing her collarbone with his thumb. Though his body was screaming at him to go faster, to indulge himself in the passion of her, Gibbs knew that he had to go slow, to introduce her body to pleasure again. He did not want her to fear him, to fear her body. Instead, he wanted to reignite her fire.

Breaking off again, he found he needed to gasp for air a little. Though her participation was minimal at the moment, his body was raging in spite of that. She was driving him mad, and all she had done was kiss him.

He waited for her to open her eyes, to show him her trust before he went on. Whatever it took, he would make sure that she was comfortable and still willing. If not, he would pull away, regardless of how much it would kill him. So, he waited.

And he didn't wait in vain.

As she waited for him to continue lower, Ziva became inpatient when his movements stopped. Normally, she would have been more aggressive. But the past two weeks had left more scars than she realized. Instead of being an active player in bed, she was finding she could only do the barest of interactions.

The more attention Gibbs paid to her body, however, the more her body heated of its own will to match his. His tongue, his lips, even his teeth were inciting her body to respond. And when he stopped, she waited.

Her body began to ache for his, needing his touch, craving the heat he was building inside of her. Eyelids fluttering open, she looked to see why he stopped, and instead found a fiery gaze waiting for her. The passion burning in his eyes caused her to gasp and arch against him. She needed him.

Before she had needed him to heal her. Now, she simply needed him. Just him. Her body and soul cried out and were met by his own cries. But instead of moving, he waited. Waited for her to move. Waited for her passion to rise up again. Daring her to rediscover herself and her desires.

Begging with her eyes and body, she whispered, "Please." But still, he did not move.

"Touch me, Ziva," he demanded. Desperately, he desired her. He needed a willing partner, some to be lightening in his hands, to scorch his body and claim it as her own, as he would to do to hers. With Ziva's pain, he knew he needed to build that fire slowly; a deep burning rather than a raging wild fire. At least the first time.

Following his request, his demand, Ziva reached out tentatively, gently tracing the muscles of his shoulder and chest with the barest whisper of caresses. He tamped down a moan that threatened to escape, afraid of scaring her away from her exploration. Slowly, the touch intensified as she trailed down his side to the muscles of his abdomen. Her fingers made contact with his stomach causing those muscles to clench in anticipation.

She was killing him, slowly. His body demanded that he take her, but his heart knew better. Closing his eyes against the strain holding back was causing, he concentrated on his breathing, seeking to calm his frenzied body.

Using both hands, she explored the contours and lines, seeking out the places the moonlight cast shadows upon. Though the skin was smooth and heated silk to her touch, she could feel the rough marks peppered throughout; scars of his past. As she felt the power in his body, the heat inside of her rose, her need building past whatever pain and fear she still harbored.

She needed to feel this man, every inch of him. The remaining barrier was its own kind of torture to her. Grasping the waistband of his pants, she unbuttoned and slipped the fabric down as far as she could, catching and dragging his boxers along the way. When the pants made it to his thighs, she stopped. Again, she did not have the ability to go beyond that point.

So, she moved her hands up, feeling the hard curves of ass, feeling them bunch under her tender searching. Letting her nails gently scrape his skin, she moved to his hips, pushing him until he laid on his back. She wanted to search and explore him now, wanting him to burn for her.

Once he was on his back, he wiggled around until he could kick his pants and boxers off. He wanted nothing between them. Soon, he would remove the boxers she wore. As she sat up to continue her discovery, Ziva tossed her flowing hair behind her, causing Gibbs to gasp.

The moonlight turned her skin to a glowing pearl, her hair to sparkle with the silver beams. "You are a goddess, Ziva." He reached out a hand to grasp a breast, using his thumb to caress the bud there. The sight of her there in the moonlight, a flush burning her cheeks with her passion, made his heart freeze and then melt.

Every other woman he had been with since Shannon had been a poor substitute for the love he lost. He had in fact chosen them because of that lack. Now, here was a woman that had no equal, the opposite of his first love. Shannon had been the light. And now here Ziva, here was the dark. A woman of passion and love his body cried out for.

Before his mind and heart could work out this new twist in his life, he went blank and utterly still. Ziva had decided to push her exploration past the planes of his torso and down to the vee of his hips. As she turned her eyes and hands to this lower portion of his body, his cock grabbed her attention.

Reaching down, he tugged at the waistband, wanting the boxers off. She leaned back, stretching her legs in front of her so that he could pull them off. He pulled them down slowly, skimming his hands down the softness of her legs, avoiding the sensitive injuries and bruises. His touch melted her core, moisture pooling in her center. As he threw the boxers aside, she sat up, resuming her exploration.

With a tentative touch, she felt the along the ridges of his groin, fascinated by him. While he was definitely not the first lover she had ever had, he was one of the largest. Scooting down so that she was sitting on his thighs, she let her fingers drag along either side of him. Grabbing him in one first, she felt the heat of him. But before she could lower her head to taste him, he sat up, grabbing her face between his hands.

"No, Ziva. Not this first time. This first time is for you, for your pleasure. Nothing else. My satisfaction will be making sure you reach yours." He kissed her deeply, wrapping his arms around her naked back. She opened her mouth under his, her body liquefying underneath him.

He spread his fingers through her hair, careful of the injuries there. For the moment, all he wanted to do was luxuriate in the feel of her hair in his hands, her mouth opening to his, her tongue dancing a tango with his own. He kissed her until her bones melted, until she was overrun by a river of lava through her veins. And even then, he continued to kiss her.

When her moans started rising to groans, he finally moved his hands lower, to cup the curves of her chest. Her breasts were perfect; small but weighty. He could perfectly fill each hand with her. As he nibbled and licked along her jaw again, he rubbed and teased both nipples between his fingers.

She threw her head back as he played along her body. Leaning back, she put her hands down on the bed next to his legs, her hair falling behind her. As his hands moved down to grip her waist, her breath started becoming shallow, her chest heaving in the moonlight.

His hands spanned the width of her waist, his fingers splaying out. Stretched out in front of him like a pagan offering to the Goddess of the Moon, her body begged for him to touch, to taste, to feel. Picking her up, he twisted around, laying her out on the bed. As he leaned over her, she reached out a hand to caress his face.

He lowered down, kissing her again. Lifting up, he asked, "Are you sure? If you're not ready, I'll stop. I'll pull away."

Her eyes fluttered open, a pool of liquid illuminated by silver beams. "No, do not stop, Jethro. I need you, and I want you. Can you not see that I am aching for you, burning up at your touch? Sure? I have always been sure, and never more so than now."

Drowning in her eyes, he saw no more pain, no more fear. Now, all he could see was her desire, for him. Returning to her lips, he continued to kiss her as he let one hand slowly turn until his palm was at her waist, fingers touching the top of her mound. As he played along the edges of her heat, he moved his mouth lower, seeking her breasts. He latched onto one, sucking her into his mouth, as he slipped a finger inside of her.

She arched her back at the dual sensations crying out. "Jeth!"

Needing to grab onto something, she threw a hand out to her side, clutching the sheets. With her other hand, she grabbed onto the top of his head as he licked and sucked on first one breast than the other. The finger he slipped inside of her was unbelievably gentle, caressing her with a touch that almost brought tears to her eyes.

Even approaching the edge of complete passion, he was still taking care of her, still making sure to not hurt her more than necessary. Feeling her rising passion leave dew on his hand, he slipped a second finger inside of her, testing her body's reactions. He leaned over to the nightstand and opened the drawer. Pulling out a condom, he reached down to put it on.

Sensing her readiness, he moved over her, using his other hand to spread her legs apart. Positioning himself at her entrance, Gibbs hesitated. Looking up from the valley of her breasts, he asked one final time, knowing if he had to pull away now it would probably kill him. "Last chance, Ziva. Tell me to stop, if you need me to, tell me to stop."

Lifting up off the bed, she latched her hand into his hair and said, "Shut up, Jethro, and take me. Now."

Smiling at her command, he gave her a mock salute and responded "Yes, ma'am."

Slowly, he pushed his way inside, groaning as the tight sheath surrounded him. He pushed his cock in further as she spread her legs to give him easier access. "Ziva. You're so damn tight."

As she loped her legs around his waist, she gasped as he pushed the rest of the way inside. She had never been filled so completely, both her body and her heart. He was using his body to heal her, to show her that she was not the sum of the experiences that had been forced upon her, that she was more than that. And she believed him. Somehow through everything, she believed what he was showing her.

"Yes, Jethro, gawd yes. If you stop now, I will kill you myself."

He laughed out loud before he started moving. He propped his arms on either side of her arms, taking his weight off of her. Moving his hips in and out of her heat slowly, he fought his body's instincts to drive into her harder. His body wanted harder, faster, to plunge into her center. But he wanted to move slowly, to build up to the ultimate explosion. She deserved more than being rushed to the end.

Her body was responding beyond what she had ever thought possible. It felt like every cell in her body was clamoring for his attention, for his touch. As he moved inside of her, her being seemed focused on only that area. Urging him on with her own thrusts of her hips, she felt him begin to move faster, harder.

"Yes, like that," she cried. Reaching up, she grasped his back, sinking her nails into his muscular flesh. As her nails dug in, she heard him cry out in the pleasure she was creating. Extremely pleased that she was not the only one quickly losing control, she egged him on with her body and her voice.

"I am so close, oh gawd. Yes, Jeth. Just like that." Her body was building and building. She could feel it reach out towards that ultimate cliff. She sought to speed up the process by urging him to drive faster, but he was being too damn considerate.

Locking eyes with his, she said "If you do not come with me soon, now, I will find a way to get you later." Hoping he was not turned off by dirty talk, she arched up and whispered into his ear "I want you to fuck me, Jethro. Now!" she cried as she dug her nails in again.

With a final surge, he buried himself completely inside of her, crying out, "Zivaa," as his body emptied his desire.

Arching her hips up one final time, she shattered in her climax, her soul seeming to rush out of her body to meet his. As her being returned to her body, she felt her lungs gasping for air. Gibbs lay half on top of her, still buried inside. He too was breathing heavily, looking at her in amazement. Their skin was covered with beads of sweat, pearls in the moonlight.

"That was," he began.

"I know," she answered.

Grabbing onto her, he rolled over so that she was laying on him now, subtly tossing the condom on the floor. Pulling up the sheets, he covered them both, not wanting her to grow too cold in the night air. Slowly, they caught their breath, arms and legs tangled together. As their bodies returned to a somewhat normal state, Gibbs started running his fingers through her black mane. And he started thinking.

After a few minutes, when their breath had become more relaxed, he said without thinking "Ziva, I think I'm falling…"

He stopped before finishing the sentence. _What in the hell was I going to say? That I was falling in love with her? She doesn't want to hear that now, not after all she's gone through. And, am I falling in love with her? I mean, she's Ziva. But then again, she's Ziva."_

His mind kept flip-flopping, unable to come to decision. They had been working together for almost four years. Had his feelings always been there? But why now? Why would he start realizing how he felt now? But he knew the answer. Almost losing her caused him to realize what he had been trying to hide. He was falling in love with her, if he hadn't already.

"Falling? Jethro, are you on the edge of the bed?" she asked concerned.

He didn't know if this was the appropriate time to make declarations. So, when he opened his mouth to tell her the truth, he chickened out. "No, Ziva. I was going to say I think I'm falling asleep."

Raising her head off of his chest, she smiled at him. "Okay. Stay with me?"

"Of course, Ziva. There is no where else I would rather be." At least that part was true. He could not stand to leave her side. Not now. "Sleep now, sweetheart. You are safe with me."

------------------------------------

Frustrated with her equipment, Abby decided it was time for a stern lecture.

"Why are you all misbehaving? Instead of giving me the results we need to catch Ziva's tormentor, you're all giving me nothing. Nothing." She turned around, giving them all a dirty look. Taking a deep breath, she spread her hands out in a placating manner. "Okay, let's try this again."

Turning back to her main computer, she went over the evidence she had, though it was not much: hair that had no identifying markers; partial, smudged fingerprints that gave her no points for comparison; phone recorders that gave her dead-ends. Because of the memories returning to Ziva, they now knew that it was someone within NCIS.

_The person would have access in here. Maybe that's how he was always a step ahead of her and the team. He must be listening in, maybe even watching._

Running with that idea, she hit the speaker button on her phone and then McGee's speed dial number.

"Hey Abbs," he said as he answered. "Did you find anything out?"

"No, nothing new. But I had an idea. What if the guy had ears or eyes in the lab? Wouldn't that give him the information he'd need to evade us this far?"

"Abby! That's a great idea. I should have thought of it sooner. I'll be right done."

"Don't forget my Caf-Pow," she called out before he hung up. Rolling her eyes at Tim's comments, Abby looked back up to her computer, making a plan on how to sweep her lab for bugs. Seeing a reflection in the screen, she turned around quickly, surprised at Tim's quick trip.

"Hey, you're not Tim," she complained to the man in front of her.

"No, ma'am, though I have worked with Special Agent McGee before. I'm Special Agent Raub with Cyber Crimes. Special Agent DiNozzo sent me down here to take you to Ziva."

Eyeing him suspiciously, she asked, "If you're here to get me, what's the password?"

Before he left, Gibbs had insisted on picking a code word that they would use in situations like this. He had not wanted to leave her unprotected, though she had protested. So, as a compromise, if someone other than one of the team came for her, they would be given a password.

Though she suspected her lab, and possibly the Squad Room was bugged, she remembered that instead of saying it, Gibbs had written it down on a piece of paper for them all to read: _home_. No one had spoken it aloud, so Abby figured she was safe.

Crossing her arms over her chest, she arched an eyebrow, waiting. Hidden behind her was her stun gun, ready to take out if this marshmallow of a man had plans on kidnapping her.

"The password? Oh you mean the code word," he said condescendingly. Calmly, he stated simply, "Home."

Scrunching her lips, she debated going with him. She had a possible lead now and hated to leave. But if Ziva wanted to see her, Abby could put it on hold. Nodding with confidence, she grabbed her purse and headed to the elevator, not realizing she left her only means of defense.

As she passed him, he watched her with his predatory eyes, making sure to hide them when she looked at him. Following her to the elevator, a smile to match the looks in his eyes came alive for a moment. All was going according to plan, and soon he would have both where they belonged, in his own garden; his Orchid and his Rose.

------------------------------------

As he showered, Ziva decided to wander downstairs having taken another shower after she had spent an enjoyable hour being woken up by him. Her skin flushed as she remembered the different ways he had woken her body. When she had dressed, she could feel new, pleasurable soreness throughout her body that had nothing to do with her injuries. Grabbing the piece of glass she had taken from the hospital at the last minute, she decided to head to the kitchen, needing to find some coffee and her backpack. Finding the coffee and the filters, she started up a fresh pot of strong coffee, knowing they would both need it.

Making her way into the living room, she saw her pack laying on the couch. Walking up to it, she noticed a piece of paper lying on top. Thinking Gibbs had sneaked down while she had been bathing, she wondered what the paper said. Opening it up, she read, _Behind you._ Smiling, she turned around. But what she saw, rather who she saw, was not what she expected.

Suddenly, every memory made a comeback. Every bit of the torture, her captivity, even who her torturer was, came flooding back. Because, in front of her now stood Raub, her predator, her torturer, dressed in an FBI uniform.

Turning, Ziva tried to make her escape, reaching into her pocket for her piece of glass as she moved. Though he was a sloppy looking man, in both form and dress, Raub was surprisingly agile as he jumped for her. Pressing a gun to her temple, he wrenched one arm behind her. Freezing, she palmed the glass in the other hand, waiting to strike.

"Hello, my treasurer. It has been too long, far too long since I have taken my pleasure from your body. You have missed me. No, do not deny it." He jerked up her arm further when she went to protest. "Now, now. Do not misbehave. I surely hope that our hours of training did not go unremembered when I freed you. I would hate to think of all that time being wasted."

Unable to take anymore, Ziva swung around, slicing his cheek with the piece of glass she had been hording. Not even Gibbs had known of its existence. The glass did its job, as she sliced a deep line across the sickening pale of his flesh. She was not stupid to believe that she had any chance to escape. But the moment she had seen the glass, she knew she had to leave something more substantial for the team to trace. His blood, his DNA, would not be left behind for them to track him. Raub would not have the time to clean up now, not with Gibbs upstairs.

At the thought of him, she froze, the blood dripping from Raub's face slowly to a dead stop in her horror. _Gibbs is upstairs. What if he comes down here, comes down to find this madman with a gun? He will not suspect, will not be ready. Raub will surely gun him down._ No matter what happened now, Ziva had to make sure that Gibbs lived. There would be nothing left if he was gone.

All this came to her in the brief moment she sliced Raub's face and tossed the glass away. As he lunged for her, she stopped struggling, knowing she would leave him willingly.

"Do you think that will help you now? Do you think I care what those imbeciles will do with my blood? They won't be able to find me any easier. Besides, I don't want you anymore, my Orchid. I only came for you to make you pay. Don't you think that I know about you and…and him! I should just shoot you both now," he claimed with a violent whisper.

Pushing her down to the floor, uncaring about the blood spilling around them, he continued, "I want to make you pay for betraying me with him. I want you to feel pain and know that I will come for him when I am done with you. I want you to watch as I take my amusement with my new treasure, my Black Rose."

As he spoke, Ziva felt her heart stutter in her chest. He would come for Gibbs. He would come for him and kill him. She must do something to stop this. But before she could figure out a plan, her blood froze. _Abby? Oh God. Not Abby._

Her mind, dull before, now clicked into overdrive. "Don't you hurt her, you bastard," she cried.

Laughing now, he hauled her up, shoving her to the door. "Come with me willingly, with no fight, Orchid, and I won't kill her. Your death will be slow and painful, but I will not kill her. Gibbs, I make no promises for. He will die for touching what is mine. But come with me, no more struggling and I'll make sure his death is quick." He had no intentions of fulfilling those promises, but he needed her out of this house and into his van.

Nodding her head, she admitted defeat. She knew that Raub had no intent of following through, but Ziva would do nothing to put Gibbs or Abby in any more danger.

At the thought of leaving him behind, she could feel her heart break. Somehow, during the long hours of exploring each other's bodies, Ziva fell in love with him, her protector. Jethro was everything Raub was not. Honorable, gentle, passionate, loving. Through the years, he had come to mean so much to her, as her boss and friend. Now as her lover, she found he meant everything to her.

Her heart cried out for him as she left, not believing she would ever see him again.

------------------------------------

After he finished dressing, Gibbs made his way downstairs, deducing that was where Ziva had went to by the smell of the coffee. Smiling, he went through the hallway to the kitchen calling out to her.

"Ziva? Where is the woman who kept me awake all night?" He sought to tease her a bit because he didn't want there to be any awkwardness between them. Not when they were still discovering so much more about each other.

Seeing that she wasn't in there, he grabbed a mug and poured himself some coffee. Taking a sip of the dark brew, he smiled at the strength of it. It appeared she knew so much about him, even how strong he liked his coffee. They were a perfect fit, the darkness of each of them, healed by the lightness of the other.

_When in the hell did I become so damn sentimental?_ He knew when that change had happened: the moment she had become his priority, both as a friend and now as a lover. No matter what happened now, he had no intentions of giving her up.

"Ziva?" he called again, moving through the house.

His heart started racing the more he looked for her. It seemed she wasn't anywhere. From the dining room, he went to the living room. The moment he stepped into the carpeted area, his heart stopped. There were signs of a struggle. And blood. There was blood splattered everywhere.

Dropping the cup of hot coffee, Gibbs turned and took off for the door, knowing that Ziva was no longer in his house. "Ziva," he yelled as he burst through the front doors.

"ZIVA!!!!"


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

As she slowly regained consciousness, Abby struggled against the bindings on her wrists and ankles. Though she knew she should fake being asleep, the restriction caused panic to surge inside of her. She had to get out, she had to free herself. She had to get to Ziva and Gibbs and warn them.

Thrashing her body around, she felt the bindings were actually handcuffs, more than likely issued by NCIS, and there was something wrapped around her head. She was blindfolded. She whipped her head around, trying to dislodge the cloth, but to no avail. It was tied too tightly.

Abby yelled then, trying to make a sound someone on the outside would hear, but the gag in her mouth prevented anything but a garbled noise to escape. Then again, was there an outside for there to be someone to hear? What if her sounds only served to draw her capturer in before she could find a way to escape?

She had no idea how long she had been in her capture's possession, but she knew the longer she stayed, the worse her situation would become. Continuing her movements, she noticed that the cloth was moving up a bit. Underneath the edge, she could see a light flashing on and off. The light went from blinding white to pitch black.

Not giving up, she kept rubbing and tossing her head around as the blindfold moved a bit more. Finally, the cloth fell away, revealing her true situation.

All around her was equipment and instrumentation that struck terror in her. _This is what Ziva had to live through. No wonder her memory failed her. No one would want to suffer through these memories._ She would never be able to doubt the strength of her friend again. But now, here she was in the middle of Ziva's nightmare, about to become the newest participant.

As she struggled to get the complete layout of the room, she had to continually blink her eyes against the constant changing light. Squinting, Abby found the source of the changing light. _It must be designed as torture device, made to help brainwash the captives. This guy has watched WAY too many episodes of Star Trek: Enterprise._

Trying to find a way out, she heard the unmistakable sound of a lock clicking open. Panicked, Abby turned toward the sound, unsure of what was going to be coming through.

------------------------------------

Walking through the door casually, Raub made his way into his domain. Taking a deep breath in, his body clenched in anticipation of the hours of pleasure he would eventually derive from this room and its occupants.

Seeing his newest guest with her blindfold off, he begrudgingly told the woman following him to have a seat. He did receive a moment of happiness when he saw how willing his Orchid was to following his demands. He would not have to waste time in retraining her, when now his focus would have to be in the training of his newest captive, his Rose.

As he walked across the room to the bed she was chained to, he new his movements looked disjointed and startling, menacing thanks to the changes of the light. Not only would it serve his purpose later during her training, but it would also help him drive her into an even greater fear and panic now.

After he had knocked her out in the car with a sleeping agent and brought her to his home, Raub had redressed her and laid her out on his bed; a black bride given as an offering to him, the conqueror. Now as he walked up the length of the bed, he allowed himself the pleasure of touching her as he moved, dragging his hand along her leg, hips, stomach. As he stepped closer to her face, he allowed desire to darken his features as her terror etched her face.

"Hello my beautiful Rose."

------------------------------------

The moment of terror Abby felt when Raub had entered had been immediately tamped down when she saw Ziva come into the room, free of restraints. But that momentary lapse was crushed when she saw her friend.

Ziva had entered the room free, but broken. Abby could see the other's woman's slouched shoulders and blank expression. She seemed to also drag her feet as she walked, not at all like the person Abby had come to know as being fiercely independent and strong. Now, she just seemed like a broken version of herself.

Abby's visual examination of Ziva ended as Raub touched her. She shifted as far away from his touch as she could, but she was trapped. He had her so spread out and cuffed on the bed that she had no way of getting close enough to the locks to pick them. Instead, she was cornered and was quickly becoming frozen in place as his gaze met hers.

In that horrible moment, she looked over to Ziva. But for what, she didn't know. She knew whatever help she needed would not be coming from that corner. Ziva was beyond able to help even herself, let alone both of them. But when she looked, Abby felt at peace, felt almost a sense of triumph. All was not lost.

------------------------------------

His eyes pierced through the steel wall in front of him. But all he could see was emptiness, a blurred image of himself reflected back to him. No answers could be pulled out of its cold depths, no revelations. Nothing he was so desperate to find. No matter how hard he stared, or how painful the guilt was, as the guilt drove a knife through his infamous gut, could change what happened, could change the decision he had made that altered it all.

Flicking the emergency stop, he dropped his head, the pain overwhelming him. His eyes grew heavy as the anguish crowded out his features. How could he have let the two women who meant the most to him slip away? What in god's name had possessed him to take a shower, to take his eyes off of Ziva? And now they were gone, lost in oblivion with a madman. Would he ever get them back?

Abby, his favorite, the one who felt the most like a daughter. Who hugged him and teased him, no matter how gruff or grumpy he may seem. Who brought him down to earth when his sense of honor drove him beyond what was right.

Ziva, his assassin, the one who knew the darkest nature of him and did not find him lacking as a man. Who could be counted on for missions outside of normal procedures. Who backed the team up with the experiences of her mysterious past. Who pushed Tony and McGee, and even himself outside of their comfort zones. Who, even now, occupied his thoughts of what had happened between them. His body and soul ached for her, needed her next to him.

Swinging around, Gibbs slammed his fist into the elevator's wall behind him. Pulling his hand away, he stared down the dent he created. The darkened lights of the elevator created a black hole in the wall, a perfect imitation of the emptiness he was feeling. His gut was broken, his heart empty as he wondered how he was going to get through the next few hours, days, until he found his girls.

Taking a deep breath, he flicked the switch to on as the elevator made its way to the squad room.

Stretching out his hand, he sighed when he noticed he hadn't broken any bones in his hand, denting the elevator doors. He wanted the pain. Needed the pain to stay focused. But now, all he'd have were bruises. Leaving through the doors a bare moment after they dinged opened, he saw his other two agents, hard at work.

Tony jumped to attention as Gibbs charged into the bullpen, yelling "DiNozzo, report!" Popping out of his chair, Tony took the remote control for the plasma away from McGee.

Activating the screen, he started to account for what happened in the house when Ziva was abducted. "There was a struggle in the living room where the blood was found." He pulled up the first picture, indicating the blood patterns.

"The glass Ziva used was a piece of medical equipment, which she must have taken from the hospital earlier." He clicked to the next picture of the bloodied piece of glass. "The little amount of blood evident says that the wound she inflicted must have been superficial, probably on the face or hand. Knowing Ziva, she would have gone for the face, for a more lethal kill. However, because of the lack of evidence suggesting she was overpowered, the intruder must have had some leverage to get her to go willingly.

"I coborated this with the FBI agents in the unmarked cars outside. Apparently, they saw an FBI agent escort Ziva out of the house and into a car similar to their own and assumed someone from their agency was taking her to another safe house."

"Then they assumed wrong, DiNozzo! What other place would have been safer than mine?!" _Should have been safer than mine._ "Have you figured out what leverage he used?"

"Based on the timeline of when Ziva was last seen and the digital footage McGee found of Abby leaving, I would say that he already had Abby and used that to make sure Ziva came quietly."

"McGee!" Gibbs barked out. "Have you figured out how Abby was taken? Why she left with him?"

"I think I did, Boss," he said as he stood up, taking control of the remote from Tony. Putting up the footage of Abby's lab and her abduction, McGee talked over it. "Before Abby was taken, she had called me up, telling me she'd had an idea on how this guy had known so much about each of us and what was going to happen."

Clicking a button, he pulled up footage from even earlier that day. It showed Abby taking apart the virtual hard drives of one of her computers. "Though she didn't tell me over the phone, from this video you can see her finding software in her computer. Boss, that program isn't supposed to be there. But it's gone from her computer now."

"McGee…" Gibbs warned, waiting for the point.

"Sorry, Boss. What I think Abby was going to tell me was that whoever had taken Ziva had bugged our computers. After seeing that video, I went through all of our equipment. Each computer had a software program that acted like a recording device. Boss, this thing is genius!" Tim said, almost in reverence.

Gibbs turned around and looked like he was going to punch the younger agent for his comment. "Sorry, Boss. I meant that this program actually served multiple functions. First, it copied everything unsecured from our computers. For some reason, it didn't hack through the secure files. I guess he didn't need them."

Changing the plasma to a screen cap and video of the program operating, Tim kept talking. "Then, the program actually recorded audio of whatever was being said in its vicinity. When something created noise, the program would start up, creating files in a ghost drive on the computer. Then the guy would have access to all that information. Using the software's access in the computer, he hacked into all of our systems and was listening to us, watching us virtually.

"I think that's how he knew what was going to happen. He heard us say it. That would explain why Abby went with him, because he knew the safe word."

Clicking one final time, he brought up a short video, when the kidnapper showed his face to the camera. "We got lucky, Boss. He may have known most of our technology, but he didn't know everything Abbs had installed. Special Agent Raub, in CyberCrimes. Boss, I was working with him until the team came back together."

A fire lit in Gibbs' eyes as he finally laid eyes on the man who dared to harm his family. Walking up closer to the screen, his face frightened his other agents. They had never seen him that way; a mixture of rage and determination.

Looking at the face taunting him, Gibbs vowed he would make the bastard pay, would make him regret ever touching one hair of Ziva's, would kill him for taking his girls away.


	11. Chapter 10

12/12/2008 16:07:00

Chapter 10

_It was almost time for this all to end. Soon. Soon, this would close and the future would be laid out before them all. Peace at last. But first the waiting must take place. Enough waiting must happen to ensure the rest of the NCIS agents' presence. _

_  
They would search, and they would find. Enough clues were left behind for that. All they must do is follow what was left, follow the evidence, follow the name. _

_But Abby was here now. Here in this dungeon. She would not be able to help them by following the evidence. And she was the best for that. Though competent workers were left behind to dissect the pieces, she would have done it faster and more completely. Alas, she was tied to the bed now._

_  
So, more time must be given. More time must be allowed for Gibbs and DiNozzo and McGee to follow the trail. _

_  
They were very good investigators. They would find this location. _

_And they would come. They would come to the darkened hell beneath the ground. They would come and see what he was all about. But they will not be able to stop what was already inevitable._

_Ziva would die. And Abby would remain with him forever. The plans were already in motion. There would be little chance of stopping them. And the plans included the deaths of the entire NCIS team._

------------------------------------

Abby was scared now. Well, at least more scared than she was before. The hope she had seen earlier was gone; a fluke. When she had looked at Ziva, in that moment, she had thought her friend was coming out of whatever place her fear had trapped her in. Abby had seen anger and rage in the other woman's eyes. But now that was gone. And with that, Abby's hope.

All that was left now was fear. Fear for her, and what her abductor had in store. Fear for Ziva, who was sitting in a corner, her dead soul showing through her eyes. Fear for the rest of the team.

When they came here, they would be walking into a trap. Before Raub had left, he had said as much. It was the only reason she had been left alone so far. He had to set up the traps for her friends, before he could see to her. He wanted to make sure that his time with her would be uninterrupted.

_What will Ziva do then? Will she stay there, broken? Or will she try to protect me from the same fate he has given her?_

If Ziva did try to protect her, Abby feared that the outcome would only be defeat for her friend. During her own abduction, Ziva had been starved, tortured, weakened both physically and mentally. Abby couldn't hope that Ziva would have enough strength, body and mind, to stop what was going to happen.

Abby was scared.

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He couldn't stand it anymore. The waiting. The endless torture as he played the morning over and over in his head. What could he have done differently? Why wasn't there more protection? Why hadn't he thought of the bastard impersonating an FBI agent? Damnit, why hadn't he thought of all that could go wrong?!

Gibbs watched as the remaining two agents tossed ideas back and forth; neither making any progress. They argued scenarios, tossed around possible ideas for their location. Nothing seemed to fit. Raub still remained the unknown variable.

Standing up quickly, he growled out, "I'm getting coffee. DiNozzo, take a couple field agents and go find Raub's last known location. You know the drill. McGee, call Fornell and get a couple of the computer geeks from the FBI over here. We can't trust our own right now."

With that, he stormed out of the bullpen and towards the nearest coffee cart that sold the only coffee he could stand, outside of his own. McGee and Tony gave each other a worried look. The situation was growing steadily worse. But at least now they had jobs to do. Together they gave a half-voiced "Oh it, Boss," as Tony grabbed his pack to leave and Tim snatched the phone.

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As Tony called out "NCIS, we have a warrant," another agent broke through the door and they all swarmed the area. After they cleared all the rooms, Tony told the other agents to clear the grounds. Though it would be more work, he would take care of the insides himself. He owed that to Abby and to Ziva.

As he started to process the living room, Tony found a collection of advertisements for buildings and warehouses. Before bagging them, he took pictures of each one, with both his camera and his cell. Attaching text to the picture, asking for McGee to look into Raub's possible purchasing of property, he sent the message and moved on.

Moving into the backrooms, what he found sent shivers through him. He had been scared before, but now Tony was terrified. Taking a deep breath, he entered the first small room and began shooting pictures, bagging evidence.

This room was dedicated to Ziva. There were pictures everywhere: pictures of her at work, with friends, at the gym, in the pool, lying in the hospital bed, lying in Gibbs' arms, even pictures of Gibbs and Ziva…

"Yikes, didn't know that was happening. Can't even tease them about Rule 12…" he grumbled to himself.

The pictures were in sequence, following a time line. And as they went further along, as they included more and more of the team, red X's began to appear. They became darker and even more jagged as the timeline grew older.

Moving into Abby's room, Tony noted in his notebook that this room was less "developed" than the other. He wrote down "less time in this obsession." But here the red X's became more violent, dug through the paper and into the wall.

Tony's gut burned with the knowledge that when they went after Abby and Ziva, Raub would be waiting. He wanted to kill the entire team now.

Picking up the phone, he dialed Gibbs as he raced out the door.

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After grabbing his coffee, Gibbs decided he had to see Ducky. He needed to get the other man's opinion. Riding in the elevator, he grimaced at the dent in the elevator, knowing he'd hear about it from the Director later.

Seeing his old friend putting away a body, Gibbs strode determinedly into Autopsy, heading straight for the other man.

"Hey, Duck. I need you to do to a profile Raub. I'm having a…hard time getting my mind around this." He didn't want to admit, not even to Ducky, how hard it was on him having the two missing, especially these two.

Though Gibbs didn't say it, Ducky knew what Jethro was going through. He didn't generally show his emotions or voice his feelings. But the two of them had been working together for so long, Ducky could still read him. Besides, it wouldn't be too hard to guess how he was feeling in this situation.

Motioning Gibbs to an empty chair, Ducky took his place in the one opposite and began to think it through aloud.

"Other than being completely insane, he wants to be acknowledged for his brilliance. It wasn't enough for him to have Ziva to himself, but he had to make sure you and the team knew about it. He left you clues, but not enough for you to do much with, for example the hair.

"As for why he chose Ziva and then Abby, there must have been some instance, some moment, where in passing they drew his attention. It could have been anything: a smile, a look, a polite email requesting aid. It could have even been something one of the ladies said to another in his vicinity. All it took was that one moment to ensnare him. And from there, his obsession built."

Taking a breath, he continued on to the final part. "He would want some place where he could have them all to himself; someplace private where he could alter the insides to his preference. In there, he would have created his own world, a world dedicated to the domination of first Ziva, and now Abby."

Before Ducky could add anything more, Gibbs heard his cell ringing. Seeing DiNozzo's name on the caller id, he stood up as he opened his cell. "Thanks Duck," he said abruptly as he left.

"What is it DiNozzo? Talk slower."

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"Boss," McGee exclaimed, jumping out of his chair as he saw Gibbs come through the elevator. "Boss, I think I've got something," he said excitedly.

"Not the something that I've got, McInterruptus," Tony called as he interrupted the other agent.

"But Tony…" McGee tried, but Tony was already plowing ahead.

"Boss," Tony began, "the bastard had these two rooms, dedicating to first Ziva, then Abby."

He tossed the USB drive to McGee, who begrudgingly pulled up the pictures. Using the clicker, Tony started going through the pictures of the house. He talked through them, showing them the timeline. Then he got to his main point. "Boss, I think he's gunning for us now."

Opening up the picture of the entire team at lunch with the jagged red X's cut into the photo, Tony waited for Gibbs' reaction.

"Good job, DiNozzo. He'll probably have traps set up for us when we find them." Regardless of what anyone had told him, he had no doubt he would find them and bring his girls home. They were his.

"What is it, McGee?" Gibbs' usual mood had become more agitated and surly the longer they had gone without a significant break in the case.

"McGee!" he shouted when the other agent failed to respond.

"Boss, I think I've found where he may be keeping them." Dashing to the plasma, he grabbed the remote from Tony and pulled up a bank statement. "I was looking for any records of Agent Raub's credit activities, but I came up with nothing." At Gibbs' audible growl, McGee started talking faster.

"No credit cards, rental properties, nothing. Other than his NCIS paycheck, of course. On his bank statements you can see that every month for the past five years, an automatic deposit was made, his paycheck, and then the next day $2000 was withdrawn, leaving a minimal amount in that account."

"His cell phone was work issued, but no calls were ever made. So, I concluded that he either didn't call anyone, or he had a pre-paid cell phone for personal use."

"McGee, what the hell does this have to do with finding Ziva and Abby!?" Gibbs was reaching his breaking point. The longer they went without finding them, the more likely Gibbs would end up finding them dead in some ditch. The worst-case scenarios were plowing through his head. He couldn't think, couldn't breathe. He had to find them!

Seeing Gibbs' growing agitation, McGee moved on. Next he pulled up a word document where he had been translating a single word on.

"Ok, here's where the weird part comes in, or at least the desperate part. Abby and I always play these word games on email. She'll send me a word or two, and I've got to figure out what she's telling me or where she wants to meet for lunch. Sometimes, the word will be scrambled. Sometimes, the word will be translated. And because Raub has been copying and watching our computers, I was desperate enough to try to use our games to figure this out."

Enlarging the top portion of the document, it showed the translation of Raub's name. "His last name is German for robbery or predator. Using that word, I searched for any business or building containing that word or a connotation of it. I found 17 possible matches in a 20 mile radius of where Ziva was found."

Moving down to the lower half, the screen showed McGee's work on scrambling Raub's name. "There were several possibilities using his name: Ruab, Arub, Urab…"

"McGee! Get to the point!"

"The only business of those 17 matches that contains with those possible letters is…" He clicked one final time to a lease agreement and a picture of an old warehouse, "is Predator and Bug Elimination, leased by an S.A. Baur, otherwise known as Special Agent Raub. The total cost for the mortgage of the building was $2,000 a month; the exact amount Raub has been pulling out of his bank account for the last five years.

"I requested a warrant for the lease agreement so we can test for prints and for the warehouse itself. They're on their way from legal, Boss."

As he said his final statement, McGee saw one of the agents from legal running towards them. "Boss, its here!"

"Great work, Tim. Call DiNozzo. Tell him to meet us there. Grab your gear. Let's end this."

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_It was almost time. The feeling was in the area, a dank smell permeated the basement. It was almost time._


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

With McGee calling out directions from the back seat, Gibbs gunned his Charger through the crowded Washington streets, ignoring the horns blaring as an accompaniment to his driving. He had one goal: to get to the girls before it was too late. Nothing else mattered.

Next to him, he could hear his senior agent getting a lawyer to have a warrant signed, then blasting out instructions to other agents who would serve as backup once they reached the warehouse. He would trust his agents to finish the details, get everything legal. Because once they got there, he'd have his gun drawn, busting through any object in his way, not caring if his actions were legal.

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The door creaked loudly in the silent room, echoing off the dark walls. His eyes gleamed in pleasure as he saw the momentary hope die out of Abby's eyes. If he had to choose, he would say the dying of hope was his favorite part when he picked his treasures. Yes, the playing was fun, the exploration, the fight, the struggle. But watching the hope slowly spill out of them almost in imitation of their blood, that was his truest pleasure.

And when he saw that Abby's hope was not so easily hidden, Raub felt his groin tighten. He had a good suspicion that this one would be as pleasurable as breaking as Ziva had been. They had the same spirit, though the fight would be different.

He cast a brief glance at his previous treasure, a look of disgust passing across his face. There was no more fight in her, nothing more to be gained. She was broken. But he still had some fondness for her; she had brought him Abby after all.

Taking out his case, he passed all his favorite contraptions and machinery. This one deserved his up close and personal attention. Putting the case on the sideboard next to the bed, Raub let his hand travel up her bare leg to the edge of her skirt.

"Hello, Abigail."

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When he entered the room, Abby had a fleeting hope that Gibbs was storming in. But when Raub's pale, ugly face came through the door, Abby felt her body deflate, until she saw the look on his face. Then she froze.

Panic overwhelmed her when she realized that it was time, that he was going to start on her now. Even though she had promised not to fight, not to give him that pleasure, survival over took her best intentions and she began struggling against her bindings.

No longer looking to Ziva for help, Abby knew somehow she had to rely on herself to get out of this. But no amount of forensic training was going to help her now. Now it was time for Gibbs' favorite to think of something more practical, more MacGyver-like to get out. But with Raub's hand on her skin, no thoughts, no plans, were coming to mind.

The only thing going through her mind was a long and endless scream.

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She fought to keep her consciousness down, to keep herself hidden. Since Raub had taken her from Gibbs' house, Ziva had struggled to prevent him from seeing that he had not broken her, not completely. If he knew she still had fight left in her, still had something to live for, he would have killed her then. But she had to live, to live and save Abby. Ziva could not risk even Abby knowing, in case she showed hope. Hope was what drove Raub, and she would not allow Abby to be hurt.

And she had something to live for; Gibbs had seen to that. She had to live, to fight and live so that the two of them, Ziva and Abby, could return. Even if after all had come to light, everything that had been done to her, and Gibbs no longer wanted her, she would still see Abby returned to him. She owed him that much.

Thinking of Gibbs had the sane parts of her mind threatening to explode to the surface. Shoving them back down, she cast a quick, furtive glance at Raub's progress on the floor. When she looked at Abby's face, Ziva had to fight the urge to attack right then. She had to wait, to wait for him to be so absorbed that he would not notice Ziva's movements. Otherwise, the gun that was always near him would be used to end them both.

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Following the continued directions McGee was yelling from the backseat, Gibbs sped through the D.C. streets, dodging in and out of traffic, reminding them painfully of the way Ziva drove. Rarely stepping on the brakes, his mind never lost focus. He couldn't allow a lapse in his concentration now. All of his attention had to be on this next mission. Failure was not allowed.

As Tony held on for dear life, having had confirmation that another agent would meet them at the warehouse with the warrant, Tim was in the backseat on his phone, digging up any possible information on Raub or the location they were headed.

"Boss, it looks like Raub had modifications done on the building, adding a basement." Forwarding the blueprints to Tony's cell so that the other agent would have an idea of the layout of the building they were about to enter, McGee continued. "My guess would be that he has them there."

"Your guess, McGee?" Gibbs' voiced growled out.

"Uh…yeah," Tim stammered out. "It would provide security since he could monitor both the aboveground activity and the below ground entrance. Nothing suspicious could be seen from the outside through open windows or doors. And…" he hated to say the next part, but Gibbs always demanded his agents be thorough. "And no one would be able to hear…to hear," but no amount of training or demands could make Tim finish with "to hear them scream."

Only his unspoken words echoed hollowly in the Charger, as Gibbs' knuckles on the steering wheel went white and the car suddenly jumped forward in burst of acceleration.

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She could hear his voice, the grating sound of evil over nails, as he whispered words to Abby, disgusting images, depraved acts, all that he was going to do to her. It was getting harder and harder for Ziva to hold back, for her to pretend insane indifference.

But she had to! Digging her nails into her palms, Ziva needed to focus herself, to find her center, for that one moment she would have the chance to save Abby. The longer she heard Raub speak, the less she sought to ensure her own survival.

His words were a new torture to Ziva, as they brought back her memories, the hours of endless torture, the never-ending pain, her eternal shame that she could not fight back or resist. As her captivity came flooding back, she no longer felt worthy of being saved; what he did to her changed her, made her less than herself. Knowing what she now remembered, Ziva did not know how she could face those she loved, those who had become her family.

Pressed against the wall, she crouched there, waiting to strike. A tear streaked down her face at the absolute terror on her friend's face. There was nothing she could do to ease it, nothing she could do until the end.

Ziva watched as Raub pulled down the gag. She knew he needed to hear the sounds Abby was making. Tears pouring down her face, Ziva saw him take out a knife and start to play along Abby's cheek with it. Ziva knew what he was planning, what his next step was going to be. And the whimpers coming from Abby broke Ziva's heart.

And in the end, that was the moment she was waiting for.

Bursting from her crouched position on the floor, Ziva charged across the room, grabbing a glinting object from a nearby table, screaming out in all the pain and agony he had forced inside of her. In that moment, she saw Raub turn around in shock as he grabbed for his gun. He had believed her to be gone in spirit, a shell. More the fool he.

She let loose the object in her hand, an instant before the sound of a shot rang out against the cold, metal walls.

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The agents had just burst down the door to the warehouse, clearing the upstairs rooms, when the echoing sound of a shot sliced through the cold air.

Leaving protocol behind, Gibbs sprinted across the floor, DiNozzo and McGee flanking him on either side. With guns drawn, they pursued their boss, intent on not only rescuing Ziva and Abby, but also protecting Gibbs from charging into a situation that would end up killing them all.

Jumping down the stairs to the bottom floor, the stopped for a brief instant, hearing a keening sound coming from the other side. Kicking the door open, Gibbs charged into the room, ignoring his agents' whispered warnings for caution. Running through the door, he stopped only a few feet inside, his gun arm dropping to his side.

For a moment, he was frozen, long enough to process Abby crying and tied up on the bed and the bastard he had sworn to kill on the floor with a knife protruding from his chest. But what froze his heart was the sight of Ziva on the floor, blood pooling down her shirt, eyes closed.

Rushing to her side, he dropped to the floor, seeing Tony run to Abby's side and McGee on the phone calling for the medics for an officer down and checking to make sure Raub was dead.

"Ziva," Gibbs' voice was an agonizing whisper. "Ziva, no." Putting his hand underneath her head, he put his other hand on her wound, trying to stop the bleeding. "Ziva, please," Gibbs blurted out. "Don't you do this to me, to the team. Don't you leave me."

He watched as her eyes fluttered open to look at him uncertain. "Gibbs?" she asked confused. Ziva smiled a bit when she recognized him, "Gibbs. Always with the orders. Always with the rules. Abby? Is Abby all right?"

He returned her smile with a pained one of his own. "Abbs is fine, Ziva. You saw to that. Tony's freeing her now. "

"Good," she whispered, her voice getting weaker.

"Where's the goddamn medic?" Gibbs yelled. He looked back down at her, seeing her skin grow paler as her body began giving out. She didn't have the strength she normally possessed, the strength to fight the wound. Ziva was fading and fast. _God please no._

"Gibbs…" Ziva whispered before she closed her eyes.


	13. Epilogue

Epilogue

_Lights flickering. Red and blue lights. Voices yelling. Voices trying to help. Friend crying. Someone dying. Blood pooling. And a voice. A demanding voice. Demanding life. Demanding survival. Demanding that she did not leave. No arguments. And she did not want to argue._

"_Ziva stay with me."_

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Pain shot through her head as she slowly open her eyes. Moving her head slightly, she tried to see where she was, but all she could make out were blurred and muted colors and shadows. And then one of the shadows detached itself from the rest.

Ziva attempted to move away from the ominous silhouette, a small sound escaping from her lips, a sound of terror.

"Easy, Ziva. Easy." As the shadow came closer, it solidified into the one person she found herself desperate to see.

"Gibbs," she sighed, relaxing. She felt his hand brush through her hair, the other rested on top of hers, his thumb caressing.

He settled down in a chair that had obviously been there for a while; his coat was folded over the back. His face was gaunt, drawn from worry and lack of sleep. She reached up, dislodging his hand and caressed his face, worried for him. Seeing his hand move up, Ziva felt the pressure as he pressed her hand against his face, not letting her move away.

As her vision focused more, she could start to make out other shapes and figures. Ziva could see Tony sitting in the corner, Abby curled on his lap.

Gibbs chuckled. "Tony hasn't let her go since we found you. Well, once so that the paramedics could check her out. But other than that, she's either been in his arms or wrapped around him like that," he said, gesturing to the two in the corner.

When he did, Ziva saw Abby get off of Tony's lap, walking towards the hospital bed she was laying on.

"Hey hero," Abby teased a little. "You saved my life, you know? Almost got yourself killed in the process, though."

"Hey, Abby," was all Ziva could manage to get out. Everything was still too raw, still too painful. "What happened? What happened after…"

"After you risked your life for mine by charging him?" Like Ziva, Abby couldn't bring herself to say Raub's name. And Ziva didn't know if either of them ever would. "Are you sure you want to know?"

Ziva nodded slowly, careful not to move too quickly. "I need to know. I need to finish this." At her words, she felt Gibbs move closer, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, and Tony come up next to Abby, wrapping his arm around her waist.

Taking a deep breath, Abby started talking, "When he came in, I thought it was Gibbs for a second, busting in to save us both. But when it wasn't, Ziva, I got so scared. And when he took out his knife, I thought that was the end. But then the most glorious sound broke my terror. It was you, you screaming in rage and fury. The look of fear, Ziva, on his face…"

Abby stopped there, taking a deep breath. She turned into Tony, as his arms came around her and pulled her in tight as shudders wracked her body.

"Abby," Ziva said, concerned. "If you cannot go on, I understand."

"No, Ziva. For both of us, I need to talk about this one more time. To finish this," she echoed. Continuing, still with Tony's arms around her, Abby went on. "He grabbed his gun and turned to shoot you. But when her pulled the trigger, he got a knife to the chest and you fell to the floor. Ziva, my heart broke seeing you there and not being able to get free. But then our heroes showed up. Gibbs burst through the doors, Tony and Tim right behind him. Tony freed me and Gibbs…Gibbs dropped to his knees. And he hasn't left your side."

Abby smiled fondly at Gibbs, still clinging in his own way to Ziva. "He kept shouting at you to not leave him. Then he started yelling at the paramedics to save you. He even shoved his way onto the ambulance. But the hospital staff drew the line when you were in surgery. He stayed outside the door though, never taking his eyes off of you. Almost like, if he did, if he turned from you, you'd fade away and leave us.

"But you're awake now. You're not critical anymore. And you're here, with us, together and safe." Tony pulled her in tighter to him, if that was possible.

"Thank you, Abby. Go now. Go and sleep. Its over." She watched Abby and Tony walk off, the woman leaning on the man. Before they left the room, Abby stopped and turned back one more time.

As they looked each other in the eyes, Ziva felt overcome by the sense of sisterhood she felt with Abby. Their ordeal, however hellish it had been, had brought them together closer than any friend or true sister could ever be. And when Abby gave her a little smile, Ziva returned it with a nod of her head.

When the two finally left, Ziva felt a weight lift off her shoulders, a pain lifted from her heart. _It was over. Truly over._ And with that, she let the tears fall.

As the sobs over took her body, she felt the bed dip as Gibbs slowly climbed in with her, carefully holding her against him. As he kissed her hair and held her, Ziva did not fight the sorrow. It was cleansing, the tears and the release. She clung onto Gibbs, wincing when she felt the stitches pull.

As her weeping died down, Ziva put at hand down near her hip, looking at Gibbs in confusion. She had expected her wound to be higher up, closer to her heart.

Covering her hand with his own, Gibbs answered her unspoken question. "You never gave him time to raise his weapon. Best guess is, he saw you let go of the knife, so he fired. The bullet entered low on your hip, on the right side. It passed through the curve of your pelvic bone and exited out the back. Ziva…the bullet…did something unexpected." He almost hesitated to tell her, but she had to know. The final piece of the puzzle was gone. "When it exited out of the back of your hip, it took out his brand. The words are gone, Ziva. His brand, his mark of Black Orchid, is gone."

He held her tightly again as her body shook with her sobs. It was done, over. But it wasn't over between the two of them. And he was going to make sure she knew that, when she was stronger.

As her body stilled, he felt Ziva relax in his arms and finally drift off to sleep.

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She woke up safe, in the arms of her hero, as Abby had labeled him. Ziva knew he was awake, and that he had probably been so most of the night, always her protector, guarding her even when she slept.

Over his shoulder, she could see the sun, rising beyond the window, as it bathed her room in reds and golds. A new day, a new start, without the darkness of the past coloring it in shadows.

Looking up into Gibbs' watchful eyes, Ziva smiled as the rays hit his silver hair. "Hello," she whispered, suddenly unsure of herself. When she had been taken the second time, they had spent the night together, seeking acceptance in each other's arms.

But now, with the treat over, would he still want her?

He saw the brief shadow pass over her face. A remembered pain? Or worry for the future? Because he knew her to always look towards the future, with only consideration for the past, Gibbs guessed that she must be unsure of him.

"Don't," he started, brushing a gentle hand over her face. "Don't doubt me now Ziva. What we've started…is only the beginning. But now that I have you, I'm not going to be letting you go so easily. I'm afraid you're stuck with this old man."

"Not an old man, a fox, yes?" she tried teasing, trying to find her way back to him.

"An old fox then," he returned her tease as a compromise. "But an old fox who will follow you anywhere. No use running, Ziva. You're stuck with me."

"Yes, sir," she answered as if she was behind her desk again.

"Be careful, Ziva," he warned with a low growl. "You calling me sir, while we're in bed, it does things to me, honey." Having her safe and in his arms was causing the entirety of his protective nature to rear its head.

Seeing the glint in his eye, Ziva finally smiled, a beautiful, full smile, the first one he had seen on her face in too long. "Yes, sir," she repeated as Gibbs lowered his head to hers, their lips meeting in a bone-melting kiss, sealing their fates together.


End file.
